Milestone T Level Event: Highlighting Collaboration and Student Success

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust held a celebration event at the beginning of July to mark an important milestone for students and to share the ongoing development of the organisation’s T Level course.

We recently attended a special celebration at the University Hospital of North Tees, where our first and second-year T Level students from our recent T-Level health cohort were honoured. Representatives from Hartlepool Sixth Form College and Stockton Riverside College also joined us. The event was kicked off by Gary Wright, the Deputy Chief People Officer, and featured highlights from the Trust’s education team on the strides being made to improve our T Level courses for future students.

Emma Davies, the education lead at the Trust, shared her enthusiasm: “It was a great opportunity to celebrate how far our T Level course has come over the last year. We know there is still more to be done to develop and improve the course for our future students – but we also wanted to take a moment to celebrate our current students and their achievements to date.” Emma also discussed exciting future plans for the program, including more placement opportunities in various clinical areas, implementing taster days, and increasing the number of interactive skills days. “We’re looking forward to welcoming a new cohort of students in September and have taken all of the students’ feedback on board to adapt the course and ensure it’s giving them the best possible experience with us,” she added.

The Trust is committed to the continuous development of the T Level healthcare offer and will maintain collaboration with all three colleges to provide 24 pathway placements in the next academic year. They are also exploring the possibility of adding business administration placements in the future.

Susy Cook, the Chief People Officer, delivered a heartfelt message on behalf of the group chief executive Stacey Hunter, congratulating the students: “A huge congratulations and well done on behalf of Stacey, myself, and the Trust. We are very proud of all that our students have accomplished so far and look forward to seeing how they will continue to excel in the next part of their professional healthcare journey. It’s an amazing accomplishment – it’s taken hard work, resilience, and dedication and you will be an important part in keeping the NHS going.”

She also extended her gratitude to everyone who made the course possible, particularly Emma Davis, the T Level placement administrator Alison, the clinical educators, and the departments who welcomed these placements. Special thanks were given to our college partners, who have been crucial to the program's success. The day ended on a sweet note with tea, cake, and an award ceremony that celebrated the hard work and achievements of each student over the past year. It was a wonderful experience to see our students being recognised for their dedication and progress.

Mick Casey, our Vice Principal for Curriculum and Standards at Hartlepool College of Further Education, expressed his appreciation: “It’s very rare to see three colleges working in collaboration at the same time and it wouldn’t have been possible without North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. It’s a wonderful opportunity to offer meaningful placements for our T Level students. Our college has a mission to transform student lives and this partnership is helping us to do that.”