IMPLEMENT A WORKPLACE WELLNESS STRATEGY WITH A WELLBEING CHAMPION APPRENTICE

As our country’s mental health continues to make headlines, many forward-thinking employers are looking for ways to boost workplace wellbeing, recognising their essential role in the nation’s pathway to wellness. A popular tactic is to appoint a wellbeing champion, and there’s a specific apprenticeship that can provide them with all the skills and knowledge to make a difference.

Whilst mental health isn’t a new concern, there is a sense of urgency now about finding solutions, with reports like We’ve Only Just Begun highlighting that more than one in three 18 to 24-year-olds report symptoms of common mental health disorders. Shocking workplace statistics like the loss of 17.1 million working days due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2022-23 are pushing many employers to take action. In the Liverpool City Region, nearly 150 companies signed up for Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Fair Employment Charter, which features an employer pledge to provide mental health support.

Developing and implementing an effective employee wellbeing strategy requires commitment and resources. Having a dedicated champion can help a strategy like this succeed.

What is a wellbeing champion?

Alan Reddin established FIT UK in Liverpool in 2010 to deliver personal training qualifications and apprenticeships in the active leisure sector. For over a decade, the firm has provided quality training, which has had an incredible positive impact on individuals and workplaces.

Now, Alan is using his expertise to educate employers about the benefits of the wellbeing champion apprenticeship. The training programme can make a big difference to workplace wellness, as many employers are already discovering, like JD Sports and GLL Leisure Trust, which have between them enrolled 25 employees on the programme.

Alan explains how the apprenticeship is suited to all sizes of organisations:

‘All firms sense the urgency to build health and wellbeing into workplace culture. The wellbeing champion apprenticeship will upskill staff to help shape a positive workplace culture, boosting morale and productivity.

‘For smaller firms, enrolling a staff member could be a critical first step towards incorporating wellbeing into day-to-day operations. For larger firms, it can standardise procedures and set standards across sites.

‘A wellbeing champion is much more than a title— the role aims to create positive change through tackling root causes. Champions on this apprenticeship will help colleagues address any barriers to their wellbeing and equip them to achieve a long-term positive impact.’

Staff taking the course will gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead health and wellbeing initiatives. These can include encouraging healthy habits, negotiating workplace adjustments, or preventing a problem from escalating into sickness.

Through study and building experience, wellbeing champion apprentices will learn how to align an organisation’s goals with employee needs. Alan adds:

‘The businesses of today simply cannot overlook employee wellbeing. When employees feel supported, organisations thrive.’

Highly relevant in 2025

Across the region and indeed the globe, a mental health crisis has reshaped the workplace and wider business landscape. The backdrop of a rapidly changing economic climate brings even more pressure. A healthier workforce can translate into sustainable success for the business.

With a rise in wellbeing technology, the champion can implement measures that support worker wellness, such as using AI to automate repetitive tasks, while meeting corporate goals. 

Progressive organisations are introducing meditation spaces and fitness classes and issuing guidance on achieving work-life balance. As Gen Z enters the workplace, some companies offer employee yoga classes and nutrition workshops alongside financial coaching to attract and retain the best of this internet-savvy generation.

A wellbeing champion can pull the above and other measures into an organisation-wide strategy, which they implement and report on.

Business benefits

A wellbeing champion apprenticeship is more than a nod to corporate social responsibility. Here is what it delivers:

1. Boost team morale: having a wellbeing champion demonstrates that employee welfare is high on the agenda, creating a harmonious work environment

2. Enhance productivity: By getting wellbeing challenges under control, companies a build focused, motivated and engaged team 

3. Attract and retain talent: Many jobseekers only apply to companies that demonstrate staff wellbeing – so getting this right helps secure and retain the best talent  

4. Increase organisational resilience: A healthy and effective workforce can respond and adapt to new challenges

5. Stay compliant and credible: This level 3 apprenticeship ensures the apprentice is trained to understand required wellbeing standards, help your organisation meet them, and perhaps even set the benchmark for your industry!

The apprenticeship is a key tool in the workplace, but it also lays a pathway to roles in the community, such as care or service navigator, community health champion, or live well coach. Alan explains:

‘Fairly soon after enrolment, the employee will start to acquire the skills and knowledge to work on real challenges, bringing significant impact in a short time, whether in the workplace or wider community.’

Be a leader for workplace wellbeing  

The need for employers to prioritise wellbeing is here to stay. The level 3 wellbeing champion apprenticeship, also known as the community health and wellbeing apprenticeship, provides an opportunity to build a supportive, healthy culture, benefitting employees, employers and wider communities. Training for this programme is offered by COPA Training, the parent company of FIT UK.

For more information about implementing this apprenticeship in your workplace, contact Alan Reddin alan.reddin@copatraining.co.uk or call 07785425844.