A pharmacist is a person who delivers medication to customers.
However, a pharmacy school, which has been offering apprenticeships since 2000, has made it easier for people to work in the industry, said Katie Jones, who runs the school and the new apprenticeship.
“We’ve done a lot of the things that we’ve done in the past that would make it harder for people,” she said.
The apprenticeship will last two weeks and include an on-the-job training programme and training in working in a pharmacy.
“Our goal is to get the best people we can, who want to do this for a living, in that first year,” she added.
The program will be run by the Australian Pharmaceutical Association (APA) and the Pharmacy Council of New South Wales.
Jones said the apprenticeship would give people a chance to test themselves against other people and provide them with skills that would be valuable in their jobs.
“The apprenticeship itself is an opportunity for people that are very experienced to go out and apply for jobs,” she explained.
“This is just a small start, but it’s really exciting.”
Jones said she was not looking to attract a lot people, as many of the apprentices are looking for opportunities outside the pharmacy industry.
However she did say she was keen to find more people to apply.
“I think it’s an exciting time for the pharmacy profession and we want to be the best place to do that,” she concluded.
What are pharmacy schools?
Pharmacy schools are accredited by the APA and accredited by NSW Health.
They are funded by the state’s pharmacy fund.
In the last five years the fund has contributed more than $2.3 billion towards funding the apprenticeships.
About 70% of apprentices are trained by APA apprentices.
The APA has a list of more than 500 apprenticeships that have been completed in NSW.
A recent report by the NSW government’s department of education, colleges and training found there was no significant difference in the performance of people who had been in pharmacy school compared with people who did not.
Pharmacy school graduates can earn up to $15,000 per year, while apprentices can earn between $10,000 and $20,000.
For more information about the APT program, visit the APTA website.