Registered Midwifery Degree Apprenticeship Evaluation Report

NHS England’s Workforce Training and Education directorate, in partnership with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), commissioned the Kings College London to conduct an evaluation of the Registered Midwifery Degree Apprenticeship (RMDA).

In order to carry out the evaluation and create the report Kings College London conducted a survey of apprentices, interviewed representatives from universities and employers, conducted a literature review into the degree apprenticeship and reviewed data provided by universities.

The RMDA was created in order to provide a route into the profession for those who felt a full time degree course was not for them. Since its inception in 2018, 12 universities have been approved to deliver it and it is now seen as one of the ways in which the NHS as a whole can fill the 2,500 shortfall in the number of midwives. It is another tool in helping the NHS reach the target set out in the Long term Workforce Plan which says that the supply of midwives should be increased through using education and training and that 5% of these midwives should be trained through the RMDA programme.

The reports concludes that, among other things, the RMDA offers a sustainable means of boosting workforce capacity to meet local need, improving staff retention and supports the implementation of a more diverse workforce.

Please visit Registered Midwife Degree Apprenticeship (RMDA) Evaluation Report to read the full report. A shorter version of the report can also be found here.