USP College and NHS Unite to Expand T-Level Clinical Placements
- Posted 17 Oct 2025
USP College recently hosted its Further Education Placement Workshop: Essex, teaming up with NHS England and the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (MSE ICB) to strengthen clinical placements for T-Level health students.
Second-year T-Level health students attended and candidly shared their hopes for placements: hands-on clinical exposure, mentoring from qualified staff, clearer insights into day-to-day NHS roles, and confidence to transition into professional roles.
Speakers including James Cross (NHSE), Nicole Baker (NHS FT), and Stacey Sherwood (MSE NHS Foundation Trust) led sessions on best practices, learner support, and innovative placement strategies. A USP student offered a personal reflection on how meaningful placements foster professional identity and competence.
T level health students are quite simply our future NHS workforce. We have to work together in partnership to ensure that today's t-level students are supported to be tomorrow's NHS workforce.
A key highlight: USP College is able to draw on the Employer Support Fund, which offers financial incentives for organisations hosting health T-Level placements, helping to reduce upfront burdens.
All agreed: T-Level clinical placements are vital — not merely as educational requirements, but as a strategic investment in the future NHS workforce. These students may be tomorrow’s employees.
USP College Health, Social Care & Early Years Curriculum Manager, Kara Stoker felt the event provided a valuable platform for networking and collaboration, with a number of strong partnerships formed between educational providers and NHS trusts. These partnerships aim to support the development of high-quality, hands-on clinical experiences that will enhance our learners’ skills and prepare them for future careers in the health sector.
We are excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to working closely with NHS trusts to ensure our learners gain meaningful, impactful clinical placements that align with their studies and career aspirations.
