UHDB and Trust apprentices recognised in regional apprenticeship awards shortlist
Three colleagues from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) have been shortlisted alongside the Trust at the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Apprenticeship Awards 2025, which recognises and celebrates the crucial role and impact of apprentices in the workforce and their positive contributions to our communities.
UHDB is shortlisted for the Large Employer of the Year category, reflecting our commitment to develop and train the future NHS workforce to support our ambition to deliver exceptional care.
Congratulations to our colleagues Ellie Gompertz, Dominik Dynia and Wendy Gouldby , who have made the shortlist across three categories for their positive attitudes and commitment to deliver safe, high-quality patient care in their roles.
Our shortlisted colleagues
Ellie Gompertz, Healthcare Support Worker, is nominated for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year. Ellie completed their Level 2 Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship and plans to start the Nursing Associate apprenticeship this year. Ellie goes above and beyond to deliver compassionate and person-centred care to our patients and has enthusiastically taken on additional roles, such as Freedom to Speak up Guardian and Patient Experience Champion, which helps them empower colleagues, patients and families to raise concerns and share their feedback and experiences so we can improve the care we deliver.
Ellie is a passionate advocate for our transgender and non-binary colleagues, while they spent their own time learning British Sign Language to better engage with and support our Deaf community and patients.
Dominik Dynia and Wendy Gouldby are both shortlisted in two categories: Higher Apprentice of the Year and Health and Public Service Apprentice of the Year. Dominik and Wendy have completed their Level 5 Nursing Associate apprenticeship and qualified as registered Nursing Associates.
Dominik started his journey at UHDB as a Healthcare Support Worker apprentice and continued to progress up the clinical pathway to qualify as a Registered Nursing Associate (RNA) in 2024. He works at the Head Injury Rehabilitation unit at King's Lodge, Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, contributing to the highly specialised care for patients recovering from head injuries which the centre offers.
He has navigated the complex demands of the apprenticeship, juggling both clinical placements and completing academic work despite English being his second language - and he has overcome these challenges with professionalism and determination, providing excellent standards of care to patients and support to his colleagues along the way. He is a strong advocate for patients and a role model for his fellow colleagues, and has naturally taken on educator roles, supporting ward colleagues on their own learning and development journeys.
Wendy qualified as an RNA in July 2025 and works in the Children's Emergency Department at Royal Derby Hospital, with over 20 years clinical experience.
Wendy began her career as an Assistant Practitioner in 2007 and embarked on UHDB's apprenticeship pathway, a way to retain and support talented colleagues to grow and continue a career at the Trust. She continued to hand in all her assignments on time and at a high standard, showing real dedication and resilience. Since qualifying, Wendy has also secured a place on the BSc (Hons) Nursing top-up programme at the University of Derby, which begins in January 2026. Her attitude and commitment to our patients and her fellow colleagues exemplify our Trust values of compassion and excellence.
The Trust, meanwhile, has been shortlisted for Large Employer of the Year, reflecting UHDB's collective dedication to developing local talent and supporting the growth of the future NHS workforce throughout the region.
UHDB's apprenticeship programme continues to grow, offering a variety of career opportunities to people of all ages, backgrounds and skills. The strength of the programme was recognised in a recent Ofsted inspection this year, recognising the Trust as a 'good' provider of education > and career development in addition to national recognition as T-Level Employer of the Year, in the National Skills and Apprenticeship Awards >.
Amanda Rawlings, Executive Chief People Officer, said: "I'm delighted that our colleagues and the Trust have been shortlisted in the awards - we are proud to support local talent join our Trust and start their career in the NHS. I am proud that we have passionate, empathetic and dedicated people like Ellie, Wendy and Dominik at UHDB to support us to deliver safe quality and personalised care to our patients.
"Our colleagues are at the heart of delivering the exceptional standards of care we strive to provide each and every day, which is why it is so important for us as a large employer to run this apprenticeship programme - we know that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to career and professional development and this provides a practical way for people to consider a career in healthcare."
We aspire to be a top training and learning provider by delivering quality education that equips staff with the skills and confidence needed to address changing health needs of our local population. Apprenticeships offer people the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and work towards formal qualifications while earning, combining practical learning with career development.
This recognition shows the impact and hard work of our wider learning and development team, alongside the many dedicated line managers whose support, mentorship, and expertise are vital to the success of our apprentices - and the crucial contributions they make to many areas across our hospitals. Their collective involvement ensures that apprentices receive exceptional guidance, personalised encouragement, and meaningful opportunities to develop their skills and progress within the NHS.
Good luck to our shortlisted colleagues for the awards ceremony, which is set to take place on Thursday 2 October.