Apprentices

This is your opportunity to develop your skills in a hands-on role, gaining a nationally-recognised qualification and earning whilst you learn. As one of our dental nurses, you’ll provide efficient and reliable chair-side support to our clinicians. You can also expect to work in other areas of the practice, including reception. That will see you dealing with patient queries, answering the phone, taking payments and booking appointments.

If you’re over the age of 16, eligible to work in the UK and not currently in full time education you will be able to join our Dental Nurse Apprenticeship.

We run this apprenticeship with our partner Tempdent and it takes between 18 and 24 months to complete. It’s fully funded and has three main components:

• A Diploma in Dental Nursing Level 3
• Functional Skills English & Maths Level 2 qualifications (unless you’re exempt, e.g. you already have Maths and English GCSEs at grade A-C)
• An End Point Assessment – this consists of an in-practice observation and an interview covering the knowledge, skills and behaviour competencies covered throughout the programme

The qualification is accredited by City & Guilds and is delivered through a blended learning programme. That includes an innovative, interactive eLearning platform that will enable you to access the course from anywhere in the UK. This is a great alternative to university – at the end of the apprenticeship you’ll already have a job (your salary will increase once you’re qualified too) and you’ll be debt free.

Reasons to join us on a Dental Nurse Apprenticeship

• High Quality Training – a minimum of 30 hours per week on-the-job training and top quality teaching and support, including a online learning, regional workshops, a workplace mentor, and a tutor to help you build your knowledge and prepare for exams
• Great prospects – this apprenticeship scheme’s pass rates are consistently over 85% (compared with the national average of 68%)
• Wages – ‘earn while you learn’, an average salary of £200 per week depending on the practice, the person’s age and number of hours worked
• Holiday pay – entitled to a minimum of 20 days per year
• Qualification – you will achieve a nationally recognised qualification and become a GDC registered Dental Nurse
• Career progression – excellent progression opportunities in the dental field; through completing post registration Dental Nursing courses or other courses within the Dental profession
• Increased earning potential – when you complete your qualification, you will get a marked salary increase
• Help with travel costs: If you live in London, you may be eligible for help with travel costs through the Department of Transport local Sustainability Transport fund, click here for details

How to apply

Bupa Dental Care work in partnership with Tempdent in order to ensure we offer a best in trainee scheme, for information on roles and how to apply please contact daniel.swann@tempdent.co.uk.

The Dental Technology foundation degree (FdSc) is a part-time vocational course designed to give you the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you need to become a skilled dental technician. Over two years, you’ll experience face-to-face training sessions as well as undertaking online learning. Practical workshops, demonstrations and critiques will give you the chance to build your skills and apply the theory you’ve learned.

This Higher Apprenticeship has been developed with industry input and is aligned to the requirements of the General Dental Council. You can expect to build skills in everything from oral anatomy and physiology through to biomaterial science, dental appliance design, and dental technology. We’ll cover professionalism, ethics, legislation and regulation, as well as analysis, decision making and reflection. We’ll also help you to develop your practical abilities in areas like biomechanical design and dental device production. This is a great opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment in our specialised laboratories and learning areas.

Reasons to join us on a Dental Technician Apprenticeship

• Our course tutors are highly qualified professionals from the areas of health, dentistry and engineering
• You’ll be based in our purpose-built dental laboratories with access to specialist equipment and the latest dental technology
• Our Higher Apprenticeship for Dental Technicians was developed following consultations with employers and industry bodies, including the Dental Laboratory Association and the Dental Technicians Association
• The course leads to an FdSc in Dental Technology
• Industrial work placements will help to boost your understanding of the industry – you’ll have work-based mentors too

How to apply

For further information about the Dental Technician Apprenticeship or to apply, please contact careers@bupadentalcare.co.uk.