14TH MAR 2024
GC Student Awarded ‘T Level Student of the Year’ for Second Year Running
Latest News
We’re thrilled to announce that a GC student has won Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s ‘T Level Student of the Year’ for the second year running!
Last month, Adult Nursing T Level student Erin Fairbrother was awarded the title by the Apprenticeships and Careers Team at the annual ceremony.
It is a fantastic achievement, with the Lead Practice Development Midwife giving glowing praise for one of the first T Level students to support the Maternity team at the hospital:
“I saw Erin be extremely compassionate and caring with a woman struggling to mobilise post-caesarean section on the maternity ward. Erin had great communication skills with the woman and her husband and was very reassuring!
Being one of the first T Level students that have entered Maternity on placement, she has proven this relationship is working, in what some would think a difficult area for some of her age but has proven consistently that she is an asset to the Maternity services and our Hospital Trust.”
Erin has been working at the hospital for over a year and now works as bank staff in-between studying for her T Level.
“I’ve been loving it, it’s been so good getting the experience, speaking to the women and seeing all the different experiences. It’s really preparing me for the job.
“My favourite part has been the birth unit. It’s a very low risk area. I saw a pool birth, and I got to cut the cord. I liked it because it’s very chill, it’s nice to be able to tailor the women’s birth to what they wanted in their birth plan.
“I think the course has been really good as it’s shown me what I’m capable out of the academic stuff – it shows you there’s more to life than tests and stuff.”
As someone who also studied A Levels at sixth form before coming to college, Erin was pleased that her T Level could give her different skills and experiences. They have been helpful when applying to university, and adding practical skills to her CV:
“T Levels challenge you in a different way to A Levels. You still get assignments and reading, but it gives you so much more experience that you don’t get anywhere else.
“The experience in the hospital gives you an upper hand for university interviews where you have the insight. For example, a common university question is to explain a ‘day in the life’ on a Maternity ward. Now I’ve got that experience I can say, “For who?”. I know the roles are different and people have different responsibilities, and I can talk about it all in detail. You don’t get that inside and in-depth knowledge without the experience.
“My plan now is to get my qualification and then go to university. I am hoping to get into Cardiff.”
Showcasing this kind of knowledge, confidence and dedication, it’s no wonder that Erin was named T Level Student of the Year. Well done, Erin!
Are you feeling inspired? Check out our T Levels here:
T Levels at GC 
