Transformative new partnership to provide visible NHS career pathways for local people

A transformative new partnership to provide visible NHS career pathways for local people has been announced today.

Northumberland College (part of Education Partnership North East) and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are partnering to ensure technical and academic routes into NHS career pathways are more visible and accessible. The college, who was recently assessed as ‘Outstanding’ in every area by Ofsted, is due to open a multi-million-pound state of the art campus at Wansbeck Business Park Ashington in 2026.

The new campus will provide exceptional academic and technical facilities aligned to industry and regional skills priorities, bringing significant economic and education benefits for the county of Northumberland and beyond. A new School of Health will open in September 2026 and will elevate the partnership to the next level.

Ellen Thinnesen, Chief Executive Officer at Education Partnership North East said: “The new School of Health will partner with The Northumbria Health and Care Academy to see the launch of a new curriculum comprised of NHS relevant T-Levels and A-Levels entirely aligned to the needs of the NHS and the health sector more broadly.

“Teachers will have a dual profession, teacher trained and have a professional background in areas such as nursing, science and allied health professions. Our new School is about qualifying local people for local jobs and careers.”

The new School of health will also partner with Northumbria University providing ‘professions facing pathways’ and guaranteed interviews for the university’s Higher Education courses.

Both the Technical and Academic pathways delivered from the new School based at the new College site at Wansbeck Business Park will be the first of its kind.

Students will study in academic and clinical skills environments and in doing so be able to pursue careers in areas such as adult nursing, midwifery, child nursing, mental health nursing, physiotherapy, paramedic science and operating department practice. There will be broader career opportunities aligned with employment prospects in health and care, including roles in catering.

Opportunities will also exist for students to pursue next step applications into Trust role vacancies, including apprenticeships.

The partnership aligns with Northumbria Healthcare’s Community Promise, a pledge to support the people it serves in Northumberland and North Tyneside based on 5 key pillars, including education and employment. A widening participation team works with schools and colleges to support access to health and care careers.

The trust’s commitment to training and workforce development was demonstrated in 2024 with the opening of the state-of-the-art Health and Care Academy, which supports clinical students to learn with the latest technology, ensuring hands-on, practical experience in a realistic healthcare setting.

Ruth Auton, Head of Education, Learning & Organisational Development at the trust, said: “This partnership with Northumberland College strengthens our commitment to supporting college learners. It aims to enhance career pathways and showcase the breadth of careers in health and care settings.

“This is all part of our commitment to career growth for our workforce by providing education and qualifications, ultimately building a robust future workforce. Through these efforts, including training programmes and guaranteed interview schemes, we are proud to provide a rich and varied offer to our local communities.”