Why training and education is important at SaTH
Training and education at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is a vital component for growing our people, strengthening our services and delivering safe, effective and compassionate care to the communities we serve. We are committed to developing our staff at all levels, across all roles, and ensuring colleagues have access to learning and development opportunities.
On this International Day of Education, we're shining a light on the education, training and learning offer available to staff at SaTH. From apprenticeships to clinical training to leadership workshops, we are proud to offer a wide range of pathways that help our colleagues develop their skills and progress their careers.
SaTH's new University Hospital status
In 2025, the Trust was awarded University Hospital status, in recognition of our work in research and education. The new status will support us to continue to deliver high quality care and also attract further research and investment to create an exciting environment for academic and clinical advancement.
Education partnerships
Alongside our University Hospital status, the Trust benefits from strong partnerships with other universities and learning providers. Together we deliver a variety of apprenticeships and courses for our staff, covering everything from clinical practice to digital skills and more.
Working in collaboration with partner universities also enables us to deliver varied and valuable clinical placements for student nurses and AHPs.
SaTH supports staff learning
We have two purpose-built teaching facilities - the SaTH Education, Research and Improvement Institute (SERII) at our Shrewsbury site, and the Education Centre at Telford. These centres bring together education, research and improvement across the Trust, and host many of our in-house courses and training programmes.
Both sites also include a Health Library, serving all Trust staff, students and community staff. The libraries offer resources for clinical and non-clinical roles, as well as materials for those completing NVQs, BTECs, postgraduate medical exams, management and leadership courses and more.
The Trust also provides a wide range of health and wellbeing resources to support staff.
Continued professional development (CPD) at SaTH
Developing your professional skills is a core part of working at SaTH, and staff are supported with a wide range of CPD opportunities across both clinical and non-clinical roles. From job-specific courses and essential training to advanced clinical development, there are clear pathways to keep learning. Apprenticeships are available to everyone - not just those new to the workforce - offering a practical way to progress and even work towards a degree in your chosen field.
Newly qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals benefit from our robust 12-month preceptorship programme. It's a rolling programme, so once you've completed Day 1, you can complete the remaining days at a time that suits you, and in any order you wish.
To highlight the personal commitment behind this work, Sarah Thomas, our Education Business Partner and Apprenticeship Lead, shared:
As part of my role, I am able to support colleagues to gain skills and qualifications & provide 1:1 coaching to achieve their potential. People are my passion and my role allows me to ensure that everyone can be the best version of themselves.
We also support employees who wish to develop their Functional Skills and gain recognised qualifications in English and Maths. These are available through various providers, and are essential for progression into roles such as Nursing Associate apprenticeships, or other higher study route.
SaTH education teams
Our education teams are passionate about supporting our staff to develop their careers. The teams focus on different areas:
- Medical Education - supporting undergraduate, postgraduate and senior medics, including doctors in training on site and those in community placements. The team ensures trainees receive high-quality educational, pastoral and career support.
- Non-Medical Education - supporting the education of nurses, midwives, healthcare support workers and allied health professionals.
- Corporate Education - supporting Trust-wide mandatory induction, training and e-learning from the Learning Made Simple (LMS) platform.
We asked Rachel Armstrong, Head of Non-Medical Education, what makes her proud to work in this role at SaTH:
I draw on 33 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse shaped by resilience, determination, and belief in potential. Written off as a young child who was told she would never achieve; I stand today as proof of the power of opportunity and education. I am proud to champion learning and development for nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals. Education is the foundation that equips professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to excel and realise their aspirations. I am deeply proud to lead, inspire, and advocate for education that transforms lives and careers.
Clinical training opportunities
Clinical training and development at SaTH includes e-learning modules and role-specific courses, alongside essential mandatory training. Clinical colleagues can also build specialist expertise through access to simulation labs, regular skills refreshers and pathways into advanced practice. This is supported by a wide range of academic and professional opportunities.
Non-clinical training opportunities
For colleagues in non-clinical roles, we offer a variety of apprenticeships and further study including business administration, human resources and finance. A full range of leadership development programmes are also available.
Leadership development
We are committed to developing strong and compassionate leaders. Our in-house Strive Towards Excellence Programme (STEP) supports managers and those with managerial responsibilities. It's ideal for new starters joining SaTH as well as existing staff stepping into management roles.
The programme covers four key competency areas - safety, quality & governance, finance, operations and our people - with presentations from teams within these areas. The 6-day programme runs over 5-6 months. Participants also complete an improvement project linked to their area of work, and present this back at the final session.
STEP runs alongside our wider leadership development framework, including the foundations of supervision and team leadership (FOSATL) for aspiring leaders, and our SaTH 1-4 leadership programmes for supervisory, first line, middle and senior managers.
We are also proud to run our Galvanise programme, targeted at colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds and supported by reciprocal mentoring, action learning, coaching, developing leadership styles, observing board meetings, networking and peer support.
In April 2026, we are excited to launch The Disabled Insight Leadership Programme. We are working in partnership with Disability Rights UK to deliver the programme, where facilitators all have lived experience.
Conclusion
Training and education are at the heart of our vision to deliver excellent care for the communities we serve. By investing in apprenticeships, leadership development, clinical pathways and continous professional learning, we create clear and accessible career progression routes for people at every stage of their career.
If you are considering a career in healthcare, SaTH will support you every step of the way to help you achieve your career goals.
Ready to join a Trust that's committed to helping you further your career? Explore our latest vacancies today.
FAQs
What training does SaTH NHS offer?
There are a variety of clinical and non-clinical training and development opportunities available, from apprenticeships across different sectors, to support to completing degrees in chosen areas. There's also the robust induction training, easy to access e-learning mini courses, leadership training and more!
Does SaTH do NHS apprenticeships?
Yes! There are many different types of apprenticeship available across both clinical and non-clinical areas. You may choose to complete your Business Administration alongside your admin role, or you could be successfully recruited onto a Nursing Associate apprenticeship role, for example.
Can I train while working at SaTH?
Some roles are training posts. This is where you'll start on a lower salary and work towards your professional registration or qualification while in the post, moving to the full salary for the band on completion. You can also undertake apprenticeships and courses on top of your current role, with apprenticeships also giving 20% of off the job training hours.
What support is available if I want to progress my career?
Our education and training offer is varied and inclusive. For more information about Education at SaTH, including a full look at available courses, please view our Education Prospectus.
