Plans for new £400,000 medical centre in Cosham to train healthcare workers of the future unveiled

Plans for the suite, which will also include a nurses’ station, bespoke classrooms and a ‘breakout’ learning area, have been unveiled to key healthcare and science organisations from across the Solent.

It is proposed the centre will occupy the ninth floor of the Highbury campus tower, in Cosham, adding to facilities owned by the City of Portsmouth College –created when Portsmouth College and Highbury College merged last year.

It comes as employers and experts from across south Hampshire joined City of Portsmouth College to help shape its new T-Level qualifications being launched this September, in healthcare science and health and nursing.

T-Level tutor Gemma Conway said: ‘It’s been fantastic to welcome so many industry experts into the college to not only help us develop the curriculum of our courses, but to also offer our students industry work placements.

‘There are so many amazing job opportunities within the healthcare and healthcare science sectors, and we’re just thrilled to be working with the region’s top employers to promote and celebrate the rewarding careers on offer.’

Both the healthcare science and health and nursing courses will allow students to explore the healthcare sector before focusing their interests on a range of areas, including nursing, care work, healthcare science or laboratory science.

The two-year technical qualifications, equivalent to three A-Levels, includes a 45-day industry placement giving students on-the-job experience, alongside gaining the skills and knowledge they need to progress straight into employment, an apprenticeship or prepare them for university.

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Senior enterprise and skills executive for Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, Nicki Craven, added: ‘Healthcare remains a major employer in the region with some 15 per cent of the workforce employed in this key sector.

‘We have to raise awareness of the vast range of career opportunities available within the Healthcare sector, attract new talent and ensure a qualified workforce for our region - the new T-Level provision at City of Portsmouth College will offer a technical and vocational pathway into work for young people, together with valuable work experience opportunities.’

Overall the new medical centre will include a four-bay hospital ward specialising in maternity, adult acute, elderly and theatre recovery care, alongside a dispensary, nurses’ station, two bespoke classrooms and a breakout learning area.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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