Hundreds of apprentice ambulance staff are helping deliver care to patients across the North East as North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) celebrates a major endorsement of its training programme from Ofsted.
The service has been awarded a 'strong' rating for its apprenticeship provision, recognising the quality of training offered to the next generation of ambulance clinicians and support staff.
NEAS currently employs 306 apprentices across a range of clinical and corporate roles, from ambulance support workers and student paramedics to cyber security specialists and chartered managers. Many apprentices gain hands-on experience on frontline ambulances while studying, supporting crews responding to emergencies and caring for patients in communities across the region.
In 2025/26, NEAS crews treated more than 143,800 patients in their own homes and local communities and transported more than 298,000 patients to hospital for further treatment.
The Ofsted recognition reflects NEAS's continued investment in developing local talent and strengthening its position as one of the UK's leading apprenticeship employers.
Karen Gardner, deputy director of people development at NEAS, said: “Apprenticeships are a vital part of how we develop our workforce. They give people at different stages of their lives and careers the opportunity to learn, earn, gain qualifications, and progress, while helping us build the skilled workforce we need to provide high-quality care to our communities.”
In 2024/25, the Trust’s apprenticeship achievement rate was 93 per cent, compared with 65 per cent nationally, while the apprenticeship pass rate was 100 per cent. The report found that all apprentices who complete their programme remain employed by the Trust and progress onto higher-level roles, including the Level 6 paramedic apprenticeship.
Inspectors visited NEAS on 7 July 2026, speaking with apprentices, leaders, staff, employers, governors, and external stakeholders as part of their inspection. The inspection found that NEAS apprentices make extensive progress from their starting points and achieve very well, with achievement rates substantially higher than national rates.
The findings come as NEAS celebrates its fifth consecutive year of national recognition as one of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. In 2026, the Trust climbed to 15th in the rankings - its highest-ever position - and remains the only ambulance trust in the UK to feature in the Top 100. Karen added: “To now have our apprenticeship provision recognised as strong standard by Ofsted provides further assurance of the quality of the education, training, and support we provide.”
Ofsted also found that all apprentices who complete their programme pass their end-point assessment, with a high proportion achieving distinction grades, and that almost all apprentices achieve within the expected timeframe.
The report recognised the quality of the education and training provided by NEAS, with apprentices developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed for operational practice and confidently applying their learning in realistic workplace situations.
Inspectors also highlighted the support provided to apprentices, including those facing barriers to education. Leaders and staff identify barriers quickly and adapt support where appropriate, while educators receive training to help them support apprentices with barriers to learning, including understanding neurodiversity.
Apprentices told inspectors that they value the reassurance and support provided by educators and workplace mentors, as well as the opportunity to learn alongside experienced paramedics. They also praised NEAS’s bespoke training facilities, including its digital immersion suite and realistic simulation environments.
Karen concluded: “This recognition belongs to our apprentices, educators, mentors, managers, and everyone who works behind the scenes to make these programmes successful. We are incredibly proud of the progress our apprenticeship programmes have made and, most importantly, of the achievements of our apprentices.”