South Hampshire College Group has held two productive industry events at Eastleigh College and Southampton College for the dental and maritime industries.
These special industry advisory board meetings provide a valuable space for educators and business professionals to identify skills priorities, share best practice and collaborate to support future workforce development. The Maritime board meeting brought together members of Maritime Solent for a productive presentation and discussion, before attendees had the opportunity to see new maritime workshop environments and cutting-edge facilities that form the new South Coast Institute of Technology.
The dental industry board meeting brought together practitioners, educators and key NHS figures to celebrate the launch of a brand-new dental suite that gives students unprecedented opportunities to apply practical skills in their learning.
Janet Hadfield, Innovation Manager for Health and Social Care at South Hampshire College Group, led the dental event and said: “This opening has been highly successful because we have welcomed an amazing array of people that are able to make real changes to how we deliver care. The dental industry is highly fragmented and the biggest challenge is that most of the education courses are run online and you cannot get the practical skills required from online learning. With this new facility, people are able to train in a safe constructed environment with tutors who know what they are doing.”
Katy Kerr, Dental Deanery Lead at NHS England, commented: “This new dental suite has exceeded my expectations. It is so spacious, airy and well-equipped – a perfect learning environment. Dentistry is a very practical profession so it’s important that from day one students can start to learn the skills that they will need for the future, as well as immediately go back and be of use to their dental team.”
Molly Cooper, Innovation Manager for Engineering at South Hampshire College Group, led the Maritime networking meeting and commented: “It was a fantastic opportunity to meet with the Maritime Solent network to discuss future skills and the vital role industry plays in shaping the curriculum to ensure the next generation is truly work-ready. Being strategic partners with Maritime Solent adds immense value to the college group, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative work together”.
