“I chose this type of learning because I needed to work full-time and wanted the opportunity to learn something new and gain a qualification at the same time. The apprenticeship is perfect for that.”
Rachel Jones reflects on the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing she is undertaking with Rodericks Dental. She continues:
“The balance between studying and working is challenging to manage. I am in surgery 5 days a week, so I do most of my studying at home. As a university graduate, I am used to it. If I need to take time out of surgery to attend meetings with my assessor, the team are great and other dental nurses will swap with me.
“The support from Rodericks has been really good. The Head Dental Nurse signs my reviews and my Practice Manager is good at chasing things for me, especially when my assessor left and I didn’t have a new one in place. The whole team around me are great, they help me if I am stuck on parts of my coursework and point me in the right direction.
“In addition, the opportunities in work have been great – even though I am still in training I have been able to work with clinicians in private clinics and with a direct access dental hygienist. It has been interesting and I like to get involved with the different treatments being carried out to learn new things. I was also given the responsibility of running the social media accounts – my manager trusted me with the job which I was very pleased about as I love that sort of thing.
“The advice I would give anyone considering an apprenticeship would be to enjoy it, don’t overthink and trust people who are experienced to guide you. Work hard, stick with it and you will get to where you want to be!”
For more information on the career opportunities available at Rodericks, please visit www.rodericksdentalcareers.co.uk
