HEIW and Cardiff Met launch Level 5 Dental Technology Apprenticeship for the first time in Wales

Published 02/01/2026

HEIW is delighted to announce that Wales’ first Level 5 Dental Technology Apprenticeship is now underway. Developed in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University, ALS Training and sector experts, this programme offers dental professionals a new pathway to gain advanced skills and progress their careers.

Earlier this year, HEIW worked with partners to refresh and modernise the framework, ensuring it reflects sector priorities and supports its first delivery in Wales.

Cardiff Metropolitan University is now offering the programme in partnership with ALS training - a leading provider of work-based training, learning and development solutions across Wales - with 11 apprentices enrolled across three-year groups. The course combines online learning with in-person validation activities, ensuring apprentices gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Apprentices are employed in dental laboratories, hospitals, and practices, contributing to digital design and manufacturing as part of an extended scope of practice for dental nurses.

*Applications for the next intake are now open. Key dates include:

• Application deadline: 31 July 2026

• Interview windows: 8–12 June and 10–14 August 2026

• Welcome Week: 21 September 2026

• Teaching begins: 28 September 2026

*All places are subject to funding confirmed by Medr Visit Dental Technology (Higher Apprenticeship) | Cardiff Metropolitan University or email emapley@cardiffmet.ac.uk for details on how to apply.

This milestone supports HEIW’s ambition to widen access to health careers and deliver innovative education models for a sustainable workforce. It also supports the Dental Strategic Workforce Plan by enabling role development in digital dentistry and helping improve patient access and care quality across Wales.

“I am delighted that HEIW has been able to lead on this work in partnership with colleagues from across the system. Cardiff Metropolitan University has been a well-respected provider of quality dental technology training in Wales for a long time and establishing this additional training route to develop the workforce in a future-faced, digital way is a natural evolution of the training offer.” - Kirstie Moons, Postgraduate Dental Dean, HEIW.

“The Dental Technology team is excited about the opportunities the Foundation Degree Apprenticeship presents for dental professionals in Wales. We are not only recruiting apprentices from dental laboratories in Wales, but we are also adapting our apprenticeship to appeal to all dental professionals interested in manufacturing dental devices by leveraging advancements in digital dentistry. We believe this approach will enhance the skill mix within dental teams while providing more avenues for career progression and the development of additional skills.” - Edward Mapley, Senior Lecturer in Dental Technology, Cardiff Met.