University of Sunderland sciences complex Source:  University of Sunderland Private healthcare provider Spire Healthcare is launching a new nurse degree apprenticeship programme in partnership with the University of Sunderland. Spire said it was searching for 270 nurse degree apprentices to join the programme, with roles available across its 35 English hospitals. “The programme has been developed to give people broad experience of healthcare in England” Deborah Barker The nurse degree apprenticeship is open to applicants aged 18 and over at “all stages of life”, including university graduates and people looking to retrain. Unusually for a nurse apprenticeship programme, it is also open to people coming straight out of education, with no existing healthcare background.