Grant to support scientific training

The grant will enable training officers from the NHS who are involved in developing the skills of biomedical science students to visit Malta on a placement.

Over a two-year period, 17 training staff from the NHS in the West Midlands will visit Malta for week-long placements where they will meet pathology laboratory staff and University of Malta applied biomedical science students.

They will present how biomedical science training is carried out in the UK, exchange ideas with their Maltese colleagues and gain experience of training within a different European setting.

The University’s School of Applied Sciences has been awarded the 30,000 Euro (approx £25,000) mobility grant by the Leonardo da Vinci programme, an EU initiative to support education and training. The University will manage the whole project, including providing initial preparatory workshops for the training officers, organising the visits and writing reports of project outcomes.

Grant holder Jan Martin said: “The main aim of the project is to compare training of biomedical scientists in the UK and Malta in order to facilitate sharing of good practice and development of innovative ways of delivering training.

“This is a superb opportunity for training officers to observe training in a different European environment. The good practice that will be developed will be of great benefit to both training officers and their trainees.”

The training officers will complete their placements at the Mater Dei Hospital laboratories in Malta and the University of Malta. The first four training officers will be visiting during autumn 2010 followed by four in spring 2011, followed by another four in autumn 2011 and the final cohort of five training officers will be visiting in spring 2012.

ENDS

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736