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Apprentices benefit from exchange scheme 

With seven apprentices from the NHS Wales Informatics Service and six from the IT solutions provider, Logicalis UK, the exchange scheme is providing valuable experience of   how each organisation operates, from the perspective of a private IT service provider and IT services in the NHS, as well as an insight into careers, and business skills training.

To date the apprentices have undertaken induction days at Logicalis' managed services centre in Nantgarw and at the NHS Wales Informatics Service, at which they learnt about IT operations and discussed with employees the different jobs required to provision and manage IT services, such as field engineering, service delivery, technical help desk, and sales. Separately, they have attended business skills and professionalism training at which the apprentices learnt email etiquette, PowerPoint presentation skills, CV writing, and interview skills.

The apprentices, who are working in IT and administration roles, are now being given the opportunity to shadow an employee at the opposite organisation, in order to gain hands-on experience of a career that interests them.

"Wales is currently experiencing a real resurgence in apprenticeships, with the number of people in work based learning the highest it's been in six years," Skates said. "This partnership between Logicalis and NHS Wales Informatics Service shows us there are very real mutual benefits when apprentices are shared between two different organisations."

"Competition for jobs is fierce, so the experience gained from spending time at two different organisations will prove invaluable to their future career opportunities, as well as what they can bring to their current roles," said NWIS's Wendy Dearing who spearheaded the scheme. "In the future, we hope to extend the scheme and employ a Shared Apprentice as part of the Welsh Government's education and skills initiative."