Barts Life Sciences, Barts Health NHS Trust and Capital City College Group partner to establish a new Health and Life Sciences Skills and Training Hub

Barts Health NHS Trust and Barts Life Sciences have joined forces with Capital City College Group (CCCG) to establish Barts Health Futures, a pioneering Health and Life Sciences Skills Hub. The partnership, marked by a signing ceremony at CCCG’s Angel centre, will offer diverse education and qualification pathways to students across London, equipping them with essential skills for the healthcare and life sciences sectors. The new hub, currently under construction and set to be completed in January 2025, will offer a wide variety of training designed to equip students with essential skills for careers in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, with a focus on clinical sciences and engineering. These programmes will include:

• T Level courses
• Apprenticeships
• Employment skills courses for current health and care professionals
• Employment skills and access courses for those aspiring to enter the healthcare and life sciences fields
• Core skills courses, such as IT training
• Clinical skills courses

In addition to these educational pathways, Barts Health NHS Trust and Barts Life Sciences will play a key role in the hub’s success by providing careers and employment advice to students, co-designing and advising on curriculum content for health-related T Levels and access courses, and delivering appropriate work experience and internship opportunities for students enrolled in the courses.

The first Barts Health Futures hub opened in 2021 at Newham College and has had over 900 participants to date, participating in healthcare based training and undertaking placements in Barts Health’s local hospitals, with some attaining full time roles in the Trust following their training.
Following the signing of the memorandum of agreement between Capital City College Group and the NHS, the delegation toured the centre’s facilities, including its existing teaching facilities in animal care, performing arts, engineering, and science. The visitors also viewed the construction progress of the new wing.

This partnership marks a major step towards preparing a skilled workforce for the healthcare and life sciences sectors, addressing the growing demands across London. By offering cutting-edge education and practical training, the Health and Life Sciences Hub will ensure students are well-equipped to enter the industry.

Shane DeGaris, Group Chief Executive at Barts Health NHS Trust said “We recognise the urgent need to address both the growing demand for skilled professionals in the healthcare and life sciences sectors and the disparities in access to training and opportunities. Our partnership with Capital City College Group is a pivotal step in our commitment to bridging these gaps, especially within our communities. By nurturing local talent and providing tailored education and career support, we are excited to empower the next generation of healthcare leaders and tackle the pressing challenges facing our services.”

Jasbir Sondhi, Group Principal at Capital City College Group, said: ‘We are deeply committed to providing our students with the best possible opportunities for their future. This strategic partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust and Barts Life Sciences embodies that commitment, as it opens the door to an array of incredible opportunities that will enhance the educational journey of our students.’

About Capital City College Group

• Capital City College Group (CCCG) is London’s largest further education and training provider, with around 35,000 students and an annual income of £130m.
• The Group comprises three further education colleges: City and Islington College, The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and Westminster Kingsway College, as well as a specialist training arm, Capital City College Training (CCCT), and joint ventures 01 Founders and Visionnaires, focused on coding and entrepreneurship respectively.
• CCCG has 10 college sites across London for 16-18 year-olds, adult learners, apprentices and businesses. It has nationally-recognised specialisms in areas such as construction, digital technology, healthcare, hospitality, rail engineering and science.
• CCCG gained a ‘good’ Ofsted grade in February 2023 including being awarded ‘strong’ (the highest grade) in its contribution to meeting skills needs · Website: http://capitalccg.ac.uk · For further media enquiries, email PressOffice@capitalccg.ac.uk

About Barts Life Sciences
Barts Life Sciences is a powerful partnership between Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London. The partnership is driven by a shared goal to rapidly translate research into real-world healthcare solutions, improving lives for the local communities in North East London and beyond.
By bringing together clinicians, researchers, and industry, Barts Life Sciences drives breakthroughs that directly address health challenges, improves outcomes, and reduces health inequalities.

About Barts Health
Barts Health NHS Trust serves a population of over 2.6 million people, in an area characterised by significant diversity and health inequalities. It is one of the largest Trusts in England, employs over 20,000 people and accounts for 1.5% of hospital activity. Barts provides district general hospital services to the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, City of London and Newham, and also specialist tertiary services to a wider area, including some on a national basis. It runs the largest cardiovascular centre in the United Kingdom, the second largest cancer centre in London, and leading stroke and renal units.
In addition to its five hospitals, the Trust also runs a number of other facilities, including two birthing centres, dental and primary care services.