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Speech and language therapists help people with speaking and communication problems and those with eating and swallowing difficulties.
You could work: between 8am and 6pm;
There will be
3.8% more Speech and language therapist jobs in 2027.
In your local area
As part of your day-to-day tasks, you could:
You could work at a school, in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, in a nursery or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need a degree in speech and language therapy that's approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
If you've got a relevant degree, you could do a 2-year fast-track postgraduate course in speech and language therapy.
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has useful resources to help you prepare for a career in speech and language therapy.
You may be able to get additional student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to do a speech and language therapist degree apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship will take around 4 years to complete.
If you already have a relevant degree it may be shorter and you may be able to gain a masters qualification as part of the apprenticeship.
If you are already working as a speech and language therapy assistant you may be able to apply to do the degree apprenticeship with your current employer. You would need to meet all their entry requirements for the apprenticeship.
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has more information on this apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You'll find it helpful to get some paid or voluntary experience in the health or care sector before you apply for a course.
You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.
You may also find relevant volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
You'll need to:
When applying for degree courses and apprenticeships, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
You can join the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) for professional development and networking opportunities.
You can find out more about becoming a speech and language therapist from:Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists; Health Careers
With experience, you could specialise in areas like:helping children with special educational needs; helping eating, drinking and swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
With further training, you could move into teaching and research. You could also become self-employed and run your own business.