University Centre Somerset (UCS) has welcomed a special guest to its Taunton campus, Ed Hughes, CEO of the Council of Deans of Health, who spent time meeting with students and staff to learn how UCS is transforming local access to nursing education.
Mr Hughes toured the College’s clinical skills and simulation facilities, engaging with students across a range of health programmes, from Level 3 T Levels and Assistant Practitioner qualifications through to Degree-level nursing, including both full-time and apprenticeship routes.
The visit focused on the local delivery of high-quality healthcare education and the unique opportunities available to students choosing to study closer to home. Students shared personal stories about their journey into healthcare and how UCS’s supportive, flexible approach has enabled them to begin or change their career path without needing to relocate.
Ed, who leads the Council of Deans of Health, the national voice for UK university faculties delivering education and research in nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, was particularly interested in how UCS is helping Somerset grow its own NHS workforce through college-based higher education.
In conversations with students, he explored the importance of apprenticeships and local access to education, and the need to address the barriers students face, such as securing placements or balancing study with work and family life.
UCS is one of only a handful of college-based higher education providers nationally offering a complete local progression route from T Level to Registered Nurse, delivered in partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). This model is already making an impact, with growing student numbers and a strong partnership with the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
“We were delighted to welcome Ed Hughes to UCS,” said Laira Pearson, Assistant Principal. “It was a brilliant opportunity to showcase the passion and commitment of our students, and to highlight how important accessible, local training is to the future of healthcare in Somerset.”
The visit reaffirms UCS’s role as a key provider of healthcare education in the South West and its commitment to growing a skilled, locally trained NHS workforce ready to meet the needs of Somerset’s communities.