**NEWS RELEASE** Barts Life Sciences and Waltham Forest College sign partnership to establish a new Health and Life Sciences Skills and Training Hub

Barts Life Sciences, a partnership between Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London, has partnered with Waltham Forest College to launch a new Health and Life Sciences Hub, designed to expand education, skills and career opportunities across North East London.

The partnership, celebrated at a recent signing event, will introduce new pathways in healthcare and life sciences and new training opportunities to local communities and students across London, with a state-of-the-art facility at the College.

The new Hub, part of the Barts Health Futures initiative, will provide a range of educational programmes, including T-Level qualifications, and specialised training in healthcare and life sciences as well as opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship to support the NHS. The Hub will also work closely with its local hospital Whipps Cross, supporting skills shortages and key developments in priority areas including elderly and community care, and other local healthcare skills priorities.

The Hub’s facilities will include a simulation space with realistic settings such as a hospital ward and training cadaver, providing students with hands-on opportunities in a professional environment. Students will also benefit from career support and guidance, work placements and internships, learning directly from Barts’ professionals.

The initiative will support not only students but also current NHS staff, offering professional development courses in leadership, management, and clinical skills. Through this partnership, Barts Life Sciences and Waltham Forest College aim to create a strong local talent pipeline, helping address workforce gaps and needs in healthcare and life sciences.

Amanjit Jhund, Group CEO of Whipps Cross Hospital, said “This new Health and Life Sciences Skills and Training Hub represents a significant step forward in enhancing educational and career opportunities in East London. By equipping students with the skills and experiences they need, we are not just investing in their futures but also in the future of our healthcare system. Additionally, this hub will greatly enhance the training of our existing hospital staff, ensuring that all our team members can continue to develop their skills, progress in their careers and provide the highest quality of care.”

Janet Gardner Principal and CEO of Waltham Forest College added: “Launching this partnership marks a transformative step forward in meeting the skills needs of Barts Health and provides a pipeline of talent drawn from local communities to progress in careers within the health sector.  By bridging gaps in healthcare expertise at all levels, we will be supporting the development of healthcare staff to empower the workforce to deliver exceptional care, drive innovation, and support the long-term health of our local communities across East London. Together, we are not just addressing current demands but providing opportunities for aspirational careers for local people. 

Barts Health Futures is a collaborative initiative with further and higher education institutions, designed to create new training, career opportunities and employment pathways within healthcare and life sciences. Through partnerships like these, Barts Health Futures is building a skilled workforce ready to meet the current and future needs of London’s healthcare and life sciences sectors.

A launch event for the Waltham Forest College hub is being planned for early 2025, inviting community members and healthcare partners to celebrate this significant step forward in health and life sciences education.

For further media enquiries, email amir.ahmed@waltham.ac.uk or antoinette.beekye@waltham.ac.uk

About Waltham Forest College

Waltham Forest College is one of only 15 General Further Education (GFE) colleges in the country to achieve an outstanding rating by Ofsted and the only further education college to do so in London. It is also ranked in the top 3% of GFE colleges in the country for student achievements. Waltham Forest College is an aspirational place to learn with highly skilled, supportive staff, industry standard specialist facilities and partnership working with employers. The college holds specialist academy status for healthcare, construction, green technologies and hospitality and is one of only 12 leading institutions selected as a WorldSkills UK’s Training Centre of Excellence. This provides an exciting opportunity for our students to further develop world-class skills, embedding excellence and developing the higher-level technical skills that employers need.

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.