Educators hope free course that helps nurses get qualified will help to fill hospital vacancies

Young people in the West Midlands have been urged to make use of a free course to help address shortages in the healthcare industry.

Coventry College has encouraged people aged 19-23 to make use of a fully funded programme that is aiming to help people get to university to become nurses, midwives and health professionals, with current shortfalls affecting hospitals and social care settings.

In 2019, the UK Government pledged to increase the number of registered nurses in the NHS in England by 50,000 by March 2024, and Adam Wilson, Curriculum Manager at Coventry College, said he hopes that West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funding for a trio of Level 3 courses will mean more young people will consider a career in the sector.

Level 3 Access to Higher Education courses in Nursing and Midwifery at Coventry College are helping learners go to university to become trained practitioners to fill the gap, and applications for September 2023 starters are now open.

Coventry College also offers a Health Professionals Access to Higher Education course, which provides a more general introduction to careers in healthcare.

The one-year courses are free for anyone aged 19-23 in the West Midlands Combined Authority area on a wage below £19,350 or unemployed, and include a pathway to the University of Wolverhampton with a guaranteed interview.

Adam said: “Our Access to Higher Education healthcare courses are always very popular, but we have seen increasing demand for nurses and midwives across the industry in recent years, so we want to do as much as we can to help the next generation get into these types of careers, which are demanding but extremely rewarding.

“The courses are designed for learners who may not hold traditional qualifications such as A Levels, but who want to study at degree level.

“They give learners the option to specialise in a particular role or to take a broader approach to the industry, with access to our fantastic tutors across a one-year study programme, and we’d love to have a full complement of students heading into next year to support the industry.”