Veterinary practices train the next generation of the profession, where there is no substitute for “on the ground” training and experience of real-life situations through work-based training programmes, such as apprenticeships.
What are veterinary apprenticeships?
Alongside developing a comprehensive understanding of the academic learning needed to qualify as a veterinary nurse or surgeon, in practice students gain invaluable insight into how a practice runs.
In addition to being skilled in the supportive clinical care of animals receiving treatment, apprentices and students develop wider behavioural and communication skills, invaluable both to their future careers and to the effective running of the practice.
Many practices will be well established in their support for these routes to qualification and will also be familiar with the legal and regulatory technicalities required to ensure both Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and employment legislation requirements are maintained. Some practices, however, may be in a growth stage and embarking on their first considerations about providing training.
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Training standards for apprenticeships
The requirement to meet apprenticeship and training standards is paramount to ensure appropriate and suitable principles are sustained. From an employment point of view, practices should also consider several key factors.
- Review skills requirements: keep any requirements for knowledge, skills and behaviours under review and ensure you follow the guidance for the practice providing the apprenticeship
- Maintain appropriate documentation: make sure you document the arrangements fully and accurately to reflect the type of training or apprenticeship agreement you wish to form. Historically, apprenticeships have taken different forms in employment law, with different options remaining today
- Draw up an employment contract: an employment contract is needed in addition to the apprenticeship or training agreement with the learning provider. It is important to ensure you have the right arrangements in place: for example, to enable termination of employment in certain situations to protect against creating an ongoing employment relationship if the individual is not meeting the requirements of the apprenticeship on their part, or upon expiry of a fixed term. Special care must be taken to dismiss an apprentice on the grounds of misconduct or poor performance
- Review payment in line with national minimum wage: keep up to date with increases in minimum rates of pay to apprentices and students. National minimum wage (NMW) rates increase each year, so remember to include uplifts to those who study alongside their role with you, with their training likely to span several years of different NMW rates
- Update contracts once training is complete: where an apprentice or student has completed their training, issue new contractual documents which reflect their new working arrangements with the practice and which adequately record their terms and conditions of employment. You may wish to do this once they have applied to the RCVS and been granted their registration
- Statutory rights: remember the practice’s policies and procedures apply to their role in the same way as other employees. Apprentices and students are equally protected against discrimination and harassment, and enjoy the same statutory entitlements to family leave, sick pay and holidays
- Legally differentiate between employees, volunteers and work experience students: make sure you fully differentiate between employees and volunteers or work experience placements, whether formal or informal, to avoid inadvertently creating any suggestion that a volunteer is akin to a worker or employee in the legal sense. With many practices offering unpaid work experience to those looking to enter the profession, it is essential to keep track of how their involvement is managed, particularly where any involvement is for a duration of time, meaning that employment rights could be achieved by passage of time or custom and practice
