University celebrates success of nursing pathways partnership

The University of Wolverhampton’s School of Nursing recently visited City College in Birmingham to officially celebrate the launch of its alternative pathways partnership.

The Alternative Pathways to Nursing partnership enables students at City College studying for an HNC in Healthcare Practice to progress onto the second year of an Adult Nursing course at the University of Wolverhampton.

For many, the partnership represents a pathway to step up from junior positions, supporting the presence of nurses from under-represented groups in the NHS.

The recent ceremony at City College, celebrated the success of the two institutions working together, whilst raising awareness of its impact. Members of staff from the School of Nursing had taken part in an official signing ceremony, followed by a welcome from City College staff and students who spoke about the value of the partnership.

Workshops and taster sessions were then held for City College students interested in Nursing courses at the University of Wolverhampton.

The partnership launched in November 2021, with many students from City College progressing onto Nursing courses at the University of Wolverhampton,

Sunil Saha, Managing Director at City College, said: “A large number of students studying on our Healthcare Practice course have high aspirations to go into Nursing careers but felt that they lacked the right support, establishing this partnership with the University of Wolverhampton provides a fantastic opportunity for under-represented groups to achieve careers goals and be successful in securing careers in healthcare.”

Martin Bollard, Head of Nursing at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “This partnership will be most beneficial for both institutions. The market for nursing students applying to university is a really competitive one, particularly in the West Midlands, but this partnership allows us to make connections with a local college and develop a pipeline of future nursing and healthcare professionals.”

Armie Santos, formerly a student at City College and future student at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “Before being aware of this partnership, going to university was out of the question for me, as I thought it would be really difficult to gain a place. Last year I completed my HNC at City College, and this April I will be starting at the University of Wolverhampton. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come and so excited to experience university life. It’s somewhere I never thought I’d be and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

For more information on Nursing courses at the University of Wolverhampton, visit our webpage.