The Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme (ACCEND) is designed to transform the education, training and career development of support workers, nurses and allied health professionals working with people with cancer across the UK. A framework comprising three components – a career pathway, core cancer capabilities in practice and an education framework – underpins the ACCEND programme and supports the overarching priorities of the NHS Long Term Workforce plan to train, retain and reform the workforce. This article describes the ACCEND programme, including its benefits for patient care, and provides an overview of the three components of the ACCEND framework. The authors offer advice on how nurses can use the ACCEND framework in the workplace, for example to self-assess their core cancer knowledge and capabilities, in appraisals, performance reviews and professional development plans, and to evaluate and develop existing and new roles within a service or team.