First Occupational Therapy apprentices complete their degree | News

Congratulations to Katalin Jenner and Megan Bawn, who have become Royal Surrey’s first Occupational Therapists to qualify through an apprenticeship route.

Both Katalin and Megan were working within the Trust in therapy practitioner roles and keen to take the next step in their careers.

Encouraged by their manager Suzanne Ward, Head Occupational Therapist, and supported by their mentors, Katalin and Megan signed up for the Surrey Heartlands apprenticeship programme, which is run partnership with Christchurch Canterbury University.

“It has been a challenging three and a half years, thanks to starting in the middle of Covid and balancing working full time with lots of studying,” said Katalin. “But it’s definitely worth doing. Before I qualified, I knew what to do but wasn’t qualified to do certain procedures so it’s great to have that ability now.”

Megan, said: “Before signing up to the apprenticeship, I knew that I wanted to progress my career in OT but I didn’t know how to go about it. I’m grateful to Suzanne for encouraging us to take this route.

“I’m really proud of completing my degree and I’m the first person in my family to go to university, so this feels very special.”

Katalin and Megan’s OT apprenticeship was divided into a variety of work placements in different settings, including community and social services, plus one day a week attending university with online lectures and face-to-face teaching. 

Katalin said: “The apprenticeship was a steep learning curve and we were a bit like guinea pigs, being the first OT apprentices in our Trust. No one quite knew how it would work out but it definitely helped doing it together and being part of a very supportive cohort. It felt as though we really wanted the best for each other.”

“Having encouragement from our line managers also made a big difference,” added Megan. “You do need to be organised, though, and manage your time carefully. We’re going to be talking to other staff who are interested in finding out about the OT apprenticeship and this will definitely be one of my tips.”

Praising the duo’s achievement, Suzanne said: “We are thrilled that Katalin and Megan have successfully qualified as OTs through the apprenticeship programme. There’s a growing need for OTs across Surrey and this is playing a vital role in building a strong, locally trained workforce to help support the region’s demands. I’m really proud of Megan and Katalin, it’s a fantastic step to take and opens up lots of valuable opportunities.”