College’s medical centre training the region’s next generation of healthcare professionals is officially opened

The £400,000 facility was opened at the City of Portsmouth College’s Highbury campus in Cosham by Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North.

She said: ‘There are so many amazing job opportunities within healthcare. It’s wonderful to see City of Portsmouth College working with the region’s employers to promote and celebrate the rewarding careers on offer.’

The medical centre is being kitted out to include a four-bay hospital ward, specialising in maternity, adult acute, elderly and theatre recovery care, together with a dispensary, nurses’ station, two bespoke classrooms, and a breakout learning area.

The facilities are key to the college’s new T Level courses in healthcare science and health and nursing - a two-year technical qualification which includes a 45-day industry placement.

Employers from across the Solent region - including Solent NHS and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust - helped shape the new qualifications.

Katy Quinn, college principal and CEO, said: ‘Our new T Level provision will deliver work-ready, employable young people, to help our local economy meet the challenges of the future.

‘We’ve built on our strong links with regional employers to open some amazing opportunities for our students once they’ve successfully completed their T Levels, including guaranteed interviews with local universities and bespoke routes into higher apprenticeships.

‘There’s a vast range of career opportunities available within the healthcare sector and these new T Levels are already attracting new talent to ensure a qualified workforce for our region.’