Welcome to the North East Centre of Vocational Excellence in Health Website

The North East Centre of Vocational Excellence in Health (CoVE) is a regional partnership funded by the Learning and Skills Council designed to help meet the needs of health employers locally.

The North East Strategic Health Authority in partnership with Newcastle College and Hartlepool College of Further Education have come together with the aim of transforming local education and training provision so that it can more ably support the current and future health workforce. The focus is on Level 3 qualifications.

Why a North East CoVE in Health?
Current workforce data indicates that almost 50% of NHS staff across the North East are employed on bands 1-4 (NVQ level 1-4). In addition, research by Skills for Health suggests that 80% of our current workforce will need to be replaced by 2010 due to the age profile and the need for training and development to meet the needs of new roles and other modernisation activity. The key focus has always been on staff working on bands 5 and above (pre and post registration roles). There is a big job to be done in getting all the rungs in place on the career framework ladder so that those currently in work can progress and those outside can acquire the knowledge and skills to get into work. With falling numbers of young people entering work and an ageing workforce there is a task ahead. Research has already highlighted that across all sectors 75% of the people who will replace those staff leaving etc are currently in the workplace, working in lower level jobs. The other 25% are outside of work, with many unemployed and with low level skills.

There is little provision currently matching our needs locally at this level and it envisaged that the CoVE will play a vital role in bridging this gap and providing the high quality specialist vocational training learners need to succeed in a modern economy.

What’s the CoVE doing right now?
The CoVE is currently focussing on 5 key areas, which are in need of immediate focus at FE level across our health community. Theses are Public Health, Learning Disabilities, Dental Workforce, Healthcare Awards (Dietetics, Diagnostics and Pathology) and Mental Health.

Groups of people working within these fields are currently meeting to discuss and agree the priority areas for each. These people understand the needs of the current and future workforce and their vision and proposals will form the foundation of improved engagement and partnership between the NHS and the education sector, a growth in technical and vocational Level 3 specialisms, greater up-skilling of the existing workforce and an increase in adult participation. The emphasis will be on fit for purpose, fit for practice delivery and innovation.