June marked an important milestone for T Levels in Leeds, as we celebrated the first ever graduation ceremony! Held alongside Leeds City College and Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, the graduating students were the first people in the city to complete the Health T Level qualification. Over 100 attendees celebrated the student’s achievements, including partner representatives and placement providers from across the Leeds health and care sector.
The students have completed a total of 315 hours of industry placement alongside their academic studies with the following organisations; Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds City Council and Manston Surgery. We were joined by Damien Lythgoe from the NCFE (formally known as the Northern Council for Further Education), who presented the prestigious award of ‘T Level Student of the Year’ to Isabel McElhatton, which is a national award that recognises the student’s academic and industry placement achievements. It’s fantastic news for Leeds that the winner of this impactful award was presented to a Leeds-based T Level student- huge congratulations to Isabel for her hard work and dedication to the course.
The event also provided an opportunity to thank the college staff and placement providers for their support, hard work and commitment to the programme and students.
The celebration event showcased the success of the programme, with students from both colleges speaking about their experience of the course, and the impact it’s had on their education and personal development. The students said:
“My tutors have provided an amazing and high level of support for myself though out this course. Any questions, help and advice I’ve needed they have guided me through them and have helped and motivated me to become the best version of myself throughout the duration of the course”.
“I learned a lot of skills on placement like communication, independence, practical skills etc. The course was very useful in parts, mostly on placement as that’s when you could put your knowledge and skills into practice. Placement helps support your personal development and there is a lot more you can put into practice rather than just writing it down in the classroom-based work”.
“[The course] provided insight into the day-to-day life of a healthcare professional through placement and enhanced knowledge in relation to conditions, care and values seen within healthcare. Studying Health T Level provided clarity on what I wanted to go into when continuing my studies further down the line”.
Many of the T Level graduates are progressing onto university to study a variety of courses including Adult Nursing, Paediatric Nursing, Paramedic Science, Midwifery and Occupational Therapy. There are also several students who have secured Nursing Associate Apprenticeship roles and will be continuing their studies within the Leeds health and care sector. The success of the Health T Level, and the students that have undertaken the course, has enabled it to become an impactful programme that’s truly valued across the city of Leeds.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the Health T Level qualification or how you can become a Health T Level student or placement organisation, click here.
