Hallmark Luxury Care Homes is introducing a new apprenticeship programme in England offering up to 32 paid places for college leavers as part of a bid to support the future social care workforce.
The provider said the scheme will be open to 18 to 21-year-olds and will offer an annual salary of £23,000 alongside funded qualifications, coaching, mentoring and leadership development opportunities.
Apprentices joining the programme from the end of September will gain hands-on experience in Hallmark's care homes while working towards nationally recognised qualifications.
The company said participants will have opportunities to progress through Levels 2, 3 and 5 during their careers.
Hallmark operates 23 care homes across England and Wales and said the initiative forms part of its workforce and succession planning strategy.
Hallmark Luxury Care Homes head of people development and projects Claire Collen said: “Adult social care offers an incredibly rewarding career, but many young people don't realise the breadth of opportunities available.
“Our new apprenticeship programme has been designed to give college leavers the confidence, skills and support to begin a meaningful career while earning a competitive salary, gaining recognised qualifications and developing valuable hands-on experience.”
The announcement comes following the new prime minister Andy Burnham’s announcement that he had asked health and care ministers to take "an immediate focus" on "bigger reform" to "lift up" the social care workforce to address training and integration with NHS staff, alongside the Fair Pay Agreement reforms currently in progress.
The reforms are expected to build on the Department of Health and Social Care's (DHSC) care workforce pathway, launched by Skills for Care in 2024, which set out a national career structure for the sector's workforce and aims to support recruitment, retention and progression across care roles.
Applications for the Hallmark apprenticeship programme are now open, with successful candidates due to start at the end of September.
