Publish date: 27 August 2026
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) welcomed a group of aspiring healthcare professionals into the Portsmouth Simulation Centre this month for an immersive careers experience designed to inspire the next generation.
The event formed part of a career exploration week organised by IgnitED, which provides young people aged 14 to 17 with opportunities to discover different career pathways through hands-on experiences and direct engagement with professionals working in their chosen field.
Throughout the day, participants gained a unique insight into healthcare education and clinical practice, learning about the role of simulation in healthcare training and the importance of human factors in patient safety and teamwork.
The morning session focused on helping participants get to know one another and the Portsmouth Simulation Centre team, while taking part in a range of interactive human factors games and challenges designed to demonstrate communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills in healthcare settings.
In the afternoon, the group rotated through four practical workshops led by healthcare professionals from across the Trust, giving them the opportunity to develop new skills and experience different areas of clinical practice. The workshops included laparoscopic skills, cannulation, resuscitation skills, and maternity and neonatal care.
The day was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from both participants and organisers. One participant said: “One of the things I enjoyed first was definitely practising the surgery, in which we practised stacking sugar cubes on one another and also attempting to loop a piece of string through a polo.”
IgnitED also praised the event, commenting: “It was an outstanding day for the group, and a number of the participants have already told our mentors that it's the highlight of their journey into healthcare so far.”
The enthusiasm and curiosity shown by the young people throughout the day generated many insightful questions, giving staff an encouraging glimpse of the future healthcare workforce.
