Meet Pranav – “I’m excited to be doing a T-level and working at Sheffield Children’s”

Sheffield Children’s has recently welcomed three T-level students from the Sheffield UTC Academy Trust, who are undertaking a placement with the Trust as part of their course in Digital Production Design and Development.

We caught up with Pranav, he’s a T-level student working alongside the Digital Services team at Sheffield Children’s. As part of his placement, Pranav has been getting involved in a project involving the use of virtual reality to support children and young people during procedures by creating a calming fantasy environment.

Pranav said: “I’m excited to be doing a T-level and working at Sheffield Children’s. Being here and working on this project so far has been brilliant, and I can’t wait to carry on. It’s such a beautiful project and can have some really great outcomes for patients. Being able to use technology in healthcare in this way is something that I’m really excited about getting to know more about.”

What is a T-level?

A T-level is an alternative to A-levels, apprenticeships, and other post-16 education options, and has been available to teenagers since September 2020. There are now over twenty T-Levels available to students across the country, each of which is the equivalent to three A-Levels. These new qualifications offer students a balance of theoretical and practical skills and are designed to ease them into the works of skilled employment and further education.

This is the first time that Sheffield Children’s has welcomed T-Level students as part of our work experience offering and the Trust is hopeful that making this opportunity available within the community will support young people looking to explore the possibility of a career in the NHS.

Anne-Marie Lynch, Apprentice and Work Experience Coordinator at Sheffield Children’s, said: “We are thrilled to offer these placements. As digital development students, we believe they will bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our work in these areas. This initiative highlights the Trust’s role as a leader in supporting education and workforce development in the digital healthcare sector, while providing students with valuable, hands-on experience in a real workplace environment.

Pranav’s Journey

Pranav is one of three T-Level students currently studying at Sheffield Children’s, each of whom are undertaking a 45-day placement across different areas of the Trust. Pranav is currently a student at UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park and supports the team at Sheffield Children’s one day per week. He has enjoyed the blend of theoretical and practical learning since beginning his T-Level course in September 2024.

Pranav said: “The biggest thing that I’d like to take away from this experience is that I really want to have a good insight into how the world of work really is.  When I eventually do leave college, I want it to be a smooth exit and smooth entry into my

 career. The opportunity at Sheffield Children’s incorporated everything that I wanted and I’m really looking forward to gaining skills in teamwork and learning more about how technology and healthcare sit together.”

After first coming across T-Levels as a year 11 student, Pranav was excited by the prospect of practical application in his learning and is proud to be a part of the team at Sheffield Children’s.

Pranav said: “I didn’t really know much about T-Levels until Year 11, which is when I came across the courses at UTC. I did a lot of research to make sure that this course was right for me. I was part of the first year in my old school to be offered the chance of doing T-Levels – I’m really glad that I did it now, as I’ve ended up here!”

“It was such a great feeling to secure my place at Sheffield Children’s. The NHS is such a globally renowned organisation and to be a part of that feels great. I applied as soon as I saw the opening and I’m really excited to be here.”

Tom Mann, Digital Transformation Lead at Sheffield Children’s, will be supervising Pranav during his time at the Trust. He said: “Pranav has been such a strong addition to the team. We’re really happy that he has been enjoying his time with us so far and hope that he continues to develop his skills with us. It is really important that we can offer these types of placements, as it means that we can continue to connect ourselves with young people across our community, learn from their ideas and support their development so that we can nurture the next generation of the NHS workforce.”

Looking to the Future

Sheffield Children’s is dedicated to supporting young people to develop the skills needed for successful careers progressing innovation within the NHS and our growing relationship with the UTC is one of the ways we’re doing this. As well as welcoming T Level students, Sheffield Children’s recently pioneered the involvement of a young person panel as part of the KidsUp Accelerator which took place at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park – the home of the UTC and where we are building a world-class National Centre for Child Health Technology!

Students from the UTC worked alongside 10 companies to provide feedback and fresh perspectives throughout the 12-week process as the companies refined their products and approach. The young people’s invaluable feedback also helped shape the companies’ pitches which were delivered as part of an impressive showcase for investors and stakeholders at the end of the accelerator. Looking towards his future career, Pranav is hoping to use his experience at Sheffield Children’s to further develop his skills in software engineering and data security.

Pranav said: “I’m really looking forward to the future and can’t wait to learn more about cybersecurity. I’m passionate about making sure that data is secure and protected, which is especially important in an organisation like this. I’d also like to try my hand at some software development and want to hone my skills in this area. The team at Sheffield Children’s have been really supportive so far, and I can’t wait to see what I have in store.”

Thanks to Pranav for sharing his story! If you’d like to learn more about our apprenticeship and placement offers, please take a look at the Sheffield Children’s website.