Foundation Degree - Nursing Associate (Apprenticeship)
This apprenticeship is employer led: applications must be submitted by employers on behalf of their staff.
Start Dates
16 January 2027, 21 June 2027
Duration
2 years full-time
Eligibility Criteria
Permanent Employment in relevant field
Overview
Why choose Huddersfield for this course?
- Outstanding Quality - Huddersfield is an Ofsted Outstanding provider, delivering top-tier apprenticeship training.
- You’ll learn from experienced health professionals and service users whose real-world insights bring teaching to life.
- Gain confidence using our state-of-the-art skills labs and immersive simulation facilities on our National Health Innovation Campus.
Accreditation and Professional Links
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This apprenticeship course has been designed to enable Healthcare Assistants to become Nursing Associates, in order to bridge the gap in care delivery as identified by the Shape of Caring Review (Willis, 2015). The Nursing Associate role developed by the Department of Health, aims to deliver high quality, holistic, person-centred safe and effective nursing care in and across a wide range of health and care settings.
In line with the apprenticeship model, the course is designed to support a training in practice approach. Whilst undertaking the course you'll remain employed by your host organisation and will spend 60% of your time in your current workplace, 20% of your time will be spent accessing alternative placements and the remaining 20% will be spent undertaking theory work.
This Nursing Associate Apprenticeship Foundation Degree course is a full-time two year undergraduate course consisting of Foundation (Year 1) and Intermediate (Year 2) level study at Framework for Higher Education Qualifications Levels 4 and 5 respectively, which is in keeping with the Framework for Higher Education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2008). The course is designed to be progressively demanding between levels. Once qualified, Nursing Associates will be regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
If you’re thinking of studying an apprenticeship course or are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you’ll also find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.
Why study Foundation Degree - Nursing Associate (Apprenticeship)
On this course, you’ll learn how to respond to the physical, cognitive, and mental health needs of all patients and service users across their lifespan. You’ll have the opportunity to practice and develop your skills through clinical placements in a range of statutory, private and voluntary services, helping to prepare you to pursue your career.
You’ll be taught and supported by experienced team who really understand the role of a nursing associate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn through face to face and online lectures, seminars, group work, simulation and role play. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear the experiences and viewpoints from service users and carers, who are part of the Public Partnership Group.
The University of Huddersfield has the highest Apprenticeship Qualification Achievement Rate (QAR) among Higher Education Institutions in England.*
Our 2023/24 QAR was 87.6% and coupled with our Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating displays the excellent learning experience for apprentices and their employers at the University of Huddersfield.
*Excludes providers with fewer than 100 apprentices.
Entry Requirements
You must:
- Be employed and meet the entry requirements of your employer
- Hold and provide evidence of GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under previous GCSE grading scheme or equivalent, before the start date of your apprenticeship. If you are unable to provide this evidence, you will be required to undertake English and/or maths functional skills learning and assessment alongside your apprenticeship.
- Complete a Rehabilitation of Offenders form and have an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check
If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.5 with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.
You may be eligible to gain accreditation for your prior learning towards this course. Please note that the course you are applying for is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which permits recognition of prior learning that is capable of being mapped to the Standards of proficiency for nursing associates and programme outcomes, up to a maximum of 50% of the programme. This maximum limit of 50% does not apply to applicants to pre-registration nursing associate programmes who are currently a NMC registered nurse without restrictions on their practice.
Course Details
Teaching and Assessment
Discover what to expect from your tutor contact time, assessment methods, and feedback process.
Placements
Placements are a compulsory element of the course where you'll experience 24 hours and 7 day care. You'll spend 60% of your time in your current workplace and 20% in an alternative placement provider, covering a variety of settings and care delivered across the lifespan. Whilst undertaking your clinical placements you'll work alongside qualified supervisors and assessors who will provide any help and support you require.
Attending placements has provided me with additional knowledge and expanded my experience as a Trainee Nursing Associate. It is very important to understand the knowledge underpinning practice and to enjoy your time on placement.
- Vicky Atkinson
Newly qualified Nursing Associate
Fees and Finance
As an apprentice, there is no tuition fee to pay for the higher or degree apprenticeship. Tuition fees are covered by your employer and the government through the Levy. As you'll be a paid employee, you are not able to take out a student loan.
Are you an employer? You’ll find lots of information about how apprenticeships are funded via the levy on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.
If you require further information, please contact apprenticeships@hud.ac.uk
Scholarships and Bursaries
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Tuition Fee Loans
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What’s included in your fee?
We want you to understand exactly what your fees will cover and what additional costs you may need to budget for when you decide to become a student with us.
If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.
Gallery
Learning the theory underpinning clinical skills.
Working together to learn and progress.
Understanding the patient experience.
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Ofsted Outstanding courses
Huddersfield is one of only two universities in four years rated Ofsted Outstanding for apprenticeships, praised for research-informed teaching and strong employer links.
Why Hud
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Make Huddersfield your home. A Yorkshire town, surrounded by beautiful countryside, with easy access to neighbouring cities; Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. You’ll find plenty of places to eat, drink, shop and socialise, there’s ambitious plans for future development. Our campus is situated next to the town centre - making your commute a breeze.
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Huddersfield is not only one of the friendliest towns, it also offers you a lower cost of living than most big cities. This means you could have more money to spend, making your uni experience even better. On campus you’ll also find plenty of facilities and services to help you budget and make your money go further.
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Careers support
We know you’re coming to university to study on your chosen subject, meet new people and broaden your horizons. However, we also help you to focus on life after you have graduated to ensure that your hard work pays off and you achieve your ambition.
Find out more about careers supportStudent support
At the University of Huddersfield, you’ll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you’ll soon discover that you’re never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey.
See our support servicesTeaching Excellence
Great teaching is engaging and inspiring — it helps you reach your full potential and prepares you for the future. We don’t just teach well — we excel — and we have the awards and recognition to prove it.
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Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Department of Nursing may teach you on this course.
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You’ll be taught by staff who want to support your learning and share the latest knowledge and research.
Find out moreAccommodation
Looking for student accommodation? Huddersfield has you covered. HudLets has a variety of accommodation types to choose from, no matter what your preference. HudLets is the University’s approved accommodation service, run by Huddersfield Students’ Union.
Take a look at your optionsFurther Study
If you want to continue your learning beyond your undergraduate degree, there is a range of financial support available for postgraduate study, including discounts for Huddersfield graduates.
Discover postgraduate coursesLegal information
When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you’ll be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You’ll find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you’ll also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.
Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:
Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started
If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.
Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.
Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice
We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.
For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.
In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.
If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.
Termination of employment
As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you’ll be withdrawn from the course.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.