Apprenticeship training provider Skills4Pharmacy has assisted contractors in accessing 55% of a £1m apprentice funding cash pot “in record time”, allowing pharmacies to offer training to apprentices at zero cost. 

The amount builds on funding provided by National Health Service England (NHSE) through its Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme (CPTAP). 

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The CPTAP programme contributes “£15,505 of funding per trainee, per year, for a duration of two years”, in order “to support community pharmacies in recruiting and training the next generation of pharmacy technicians, ultimately bolstering workforce capacity and expanding clinical service delivery across the sector.”  

Additional funding from the transfer levy pot means pharmacies can take on trainees completely free of charge. 

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Alongside assisting pharmacies in accessing levy funding, Skills4Pharmacy said it offers “recruitment support” and “financial incentive guidance”, signposting contractors towards additional funding such as government hiring incentives and national insurance relief for apprentices under 25. 

Immense demand 

"Securing £550,000 for pharmacies so quickly shows both the immense demand and the speed at which we operate," said head of sales at Skills4Pharmacy, Jay Crabb.  

Pharmacies that secure funding from the CPTAP have until 30 September to ensure trainees have begun their apprenticeships. 

It comes after 83% of trainee pharmacists passed this June’s common registration assessment, the highest pass rate in six years. 

And it follows confirmation by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) that the minimum level of study for pharmacy technicians will increase from level 3 to level 4.