Leicester College has repurposed a teaching area at its Abbey Park Campus to create two training hospital wards that will enhance the learning experience for students on its Health and Science T level course.

National T Levels Celebration Week takes place from 2–6 October 2023 and in advance of that week, Leicester College officially opened the new wards on 29 September 2023 with Julie Hogg, Chief Nurse of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, cutting the ribbon.

T levels are a two-year, highly technical, vocational qualification and the Health and Science T level prepares students for a career in nursing and midwifery support. The wards have been fitted with the latest equipment used in the NHS to ensure that the courses offer a fully functioning, realistic working environment for the students to learn and apply their practical skills and knowledge.

The College consulted health course leaders at De Montfort University and the nursing and midwifery specialists who will be teaching the T level courses to ensure the wards have all of the equipment and resources needed to deliver practical sessions to the students.

The creation of the realistic teaching areas was funded through the Department for Education’s T level Capital Fund and cost just over £400,000. They have been designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind to ensure that they will also be suitable for other health related courses in the future.

Verity Hancock, Principal of Leicester College commented:

"T level programmes are designed in collaboration with employers and professionals to give young people the skills that their industry requires, so it’s critical that our learners have access to industry standard equipment and high-quality facilities. We’re excited to open our new training hospital wards that will give students a realistic environment to learn and build practical skills, in preparation for their placement within real hospitals.”