Apprenticeships are a key part of Public Health England becoming a learning organisation committed to building the capacity and capability of our staff to deliver world-class public health
Public Health England is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care but we’re a distinct organisation with operational autonomy. We formed in 2013 to unite over 70 separate organisations into a single public health service.
We work closely with public health professionals in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and across the world.
We employ over 5,500 staff from a range of professional, scientific and technical disciplines, working across eight regional centres across England, with two sites in the devolved nations and a small number of staff based overseas.
Public Health England’s mission is to protect and improve health and tackle inequalities. Our scientists work around the clock to keep people safe from infectious disease and other environmental hazards, including chemicals and radiation. Our responsibility to improve the health of the nation is largely discharged through the work of local government, the NHS and central government, where we strive to have health at the heart of all policies.
Within Public Health England, about half of the workforce are from the scientific community working in both clinical and non-clinical fields, the remainder are non-scientists across all disciplines from finance and human resources, to data analysts, business support and specialists in health improvement and health protection.
Apprenticeships have become a key part of Public Health England becoming a learning organisation committed to building the capacity and capability of our staff to deliver world-class public health. The rapid change and resource constraints in the public sector mean we must work smarter, and our apprenticeships provide effective career development to existing staff, and a career pathway for new staff, reflecting our 70/20/10 approach to learning and development and talent.
Public Health England also takes advantage of schemes such as Life Chances where we specifically target those leaving the care system. We work closely with Barnardo’s and ex-offenders, creating meaningful work and career opportunities to those who are considered at a disadvantage in gaining employment due to life circumstances. This forms an important contribution to our social corporate responsibility and fulfils our ambitions of creating meaningful employment opportunities to help improve people’s lives and their overall health and wellbeing, as well as helping to reduce health inequalities.
As part of the Civil Service, Public Health England affords its employees an excellent work benefits package, including access to various staff wellbeing schemes, free at the point of contact, such as mental health support, excellent pay, even for apprentices, pensions and other work-related benefits.
All of our apprenticeships are advertised on the National Apprenticeship Service website, NHS jobs and Civil Service Jobs (with the exception of those under the Life Chances schemes, which are closed recruitment through Barnardo’s and the Going Forward into Employment scheme).
For further information on our apprenticeship scheme, please contact apprenticeships@phe.gov.uk. For further information about Public Health England, visit our website phe.gov.uk.
