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This is great news that HEE is to give some priority and encourage targetting funding to the development of this pre-professional group. Yes there have been previous initiatives and Agenda for Change was designed to provide for such pathways and development of new and flexible roles. But many employers have yet to realise the potential of staff in Bands 1-4 and spend too little of their training monies on this significant section of the NHS workforce. Employer engagement in LETBs provides a new opportunity to embed this straegy. Trade unions should also be engaged to ensure they become partners not obstacles to such developments.