As one of the first colleges’ in the country to deliver the new T Level qualifications, the College is delighted to announce that from September 2021, the T Level in Health (Nursing) will be delivered in partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

Equivalent to three A Levels, T Levels are underpinned by a model of 80 percent classroom-based education and 20 percent learning in the workplace. Students studying Health (Nursing) will obtain 315 hours ‘on the job’ experience under the expert guidance of professionals within the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. Not only will this provide the students with an unparalleled insight into the sector, but the successful completion of the T Level will enable them to progress confidently onto a degree in nursing or into other associated professions.

BTC recently secured funding to invest £1.2 million in a Health Faculty at the Taunton campus that will house students studying Health (Nursing). This T Level will provide students with aspirations in adult nursing and other allied health professions the unique opportunity to study the highest quality of technical education.

Louise Rowley, Vice Principal at BTC said,

We are delighted that our partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust continues to develop, and cementing this T Level provides an outstanding opportunity for us to collectively nurture and support nurses and allied health professionals of the future. Together, we remain committed to ensuring the next generations can study T Levels and Higher Education related programmes at BTC, providing young people across Somerset the very highest clinical based education, and creating a highly skilled workforce that can support the NHS in our region.

The T Level in Health (Nursing) will be the ‘gold standard’ for technical training for students with aspirations to move into the health and social care sector, and is supported by a ‘transition programme’ that provides students with an opportunity to develop the foundations of knowledge and experience prior to commencing the T Level.

Assistant Principal Sam Reilly commented,

This T Level is an exciting opportunity for school leavers wishing to embark on a career within the health sector. Whilst the T Level will stimulate and challenge them to progress their academic knowledge, it is equally important that they understand and realise how the NHS functions. Appreciating the culture and values within the NHS will be vital, and this qualification will be uniquely brought to life by the expert support from our exceptional NHS colleagues; something unmatched by any other form of health and social care programme.