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North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 10 employers at this year’s Department for Education’s National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards, underscoring its growing reputation as a leader in workforce development.
The annual awards celebrate excellence across the skills sector, highlighting organisations that demonstrate outstanding commitment to training and career progression. NEAS earned its place on the national stage after being named Large Employer of the Year for the North East region.
The accolade follows another significant milestone for the organisation, which climbed to 28th place in the 2025 Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list — a notable rise from 65th the previous year. The leap reflects sustained investment in a broad range of development pathways spanning both clinical and corporate roles.
Serving a population of 2.7 million across 3,200 square miles, NEAS employs more than 3,200 staff, with every role contributing to the delivery of high-quality patient care. Apprenticeships form a key part of its workforce strategy, offering structured work-based training combined with nationally recognised qualifications.
During the 2023/24 academic year, the organisation supported more than 550 apprentices. Of these, 134 completed their programmes, with a further 425 continuing their training. Students are currently enrolled across 14 apprenticeship pathways covering both frontline clinical positions and non-clinical roles.
Chief Executive Kev Scollay praised the organisation’s education team and highlighted the importance of apprenticeships for both new entrants and existing staff.
“Apprenticeships are a great way to take a first step into healthcare, but they are also a great opportunity for people who are already an established member of our workforce to work towards a new qualification,” he said. “Our education team dedicates a huge amount to apprenticeship programmes and are always looking at new and innovative ways to improve our work-based training programmes to help people develop into their roles.
“We may not have won the national award, but to come in the top 10 in the country serves as a powerful reflection of the values and hard work of our teams and they thoroughly deserve this recognition.”
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