A new £1.1 million Health and Care Academy has opened at Bournemouth and Poole College, aimed at preparing students for careers in the NHS and wider care sector.
Located at the college’s Poole campus, the facility includes a four-bed simulated hospital ward, a realistic care suite with kitchen and bedroom, and three refurbished classrooms fitted with high-spec healthcare equipment. The project was jointly funded by the college and the Department for Education.
The academy was officially launched on 24 June with a ribbon cutting by adaptive rower Alex Lewis, who also gave a keynote address on healthcare accessibility. Guests from NHS trusts, BCP Council and local health and care organisations attended the event and toured the facilities.
The academy was developed in close collaboration with NHS trusts and local care providers, ensuring that the curriculum meets sector needs. Students are trained using hospital-grade mannequins and participate in realistic scenarios to build their clinical and interpersonal skills.
Sixteen T Level Health students from the college recently completed placements with University Hospitals Dorset and Dorset Healthcare, gaining hands-on experience in settings such as surgical theatres, oncology and elderly care.
Speaking to Bournemouth One at the launch event yesterday, Phil Sayles, Principal at Bournemouth and Poole College, said the academy is part of a wider strategy to help local people pursue careers in essential public services: “We are proud of innovation from our college, one of many that mean we can create progression routes for local people, both school leavers and adults, to plot a career path into the vital services and industries our country needs.”
