Mayoral visit looks to the future of Huddersfield

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, was given a tour of Huddersfield Town Centre on Friday 30 July. The tour incorporated a visit to the Southgate development site of the National Health Innovation Campus, which is due to open in 2024. University of Huddersfield film intern Sam Redgate-Large, who is currently working in the Mayor’s Office, was also able to share the valuable experience he is gaining for his future career.

National Health Innovation Campus

The Mayor was able to gain an insight into the future benefits the National Health Innovation Campus will bring to the community.

“I am delighted that we had the opportunity to share our exciting plans for the National Health Innovation Campus with the Mayor. This new development will help us in our commitment to help end health inequality in our region and beyond,” commented Professor Bob Cryan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.

The campus will include the Health and Wellbeing Academy, world leading research facilities and specialist clinical teaching facilities. The community will also benefit from access to an award-winning podiatry clinic, the THRIVE telehealth service, sports and physiotherapy clinics, parent and child clinics, mental health clinics and public facing spaces dedicated to social science.

Workforce transformation for health and social care

Yorkshire and the Humber has some of the worst figures in England regarding the health of its population, with the third lowest life expectancy for both men and women; highest levels of obesity and the second highest rate of deaths in infancy.

The University is the largest provider of apprenticeships and of workforce development in the NHS in the region and this investment will continue to build on this. The campus will enable rapid expansion in fields such as nursing, midwifery, allied health and human sciences, which will help to meet the demand for healthcare professionals. It will facilitate partnership and co-creation between the University and existing and new partners in health, care, and beyond.

Supporting our future workforce

The University of Huddersfield enables students to gain industry experience via placement and intern opportunities. Sam Redgate-Large graduated this year in Broadcast Journalism with first class honours and has recently started a film internship working in the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Office.

When asked about his internship experience Sam commented:

“The benefits of doing an internship such as this are huge. First and foremost, it will allow me to gain an understanding of a real-world working environment, as well as meeting some important people. It will allow me to build on the skills I have already gained during my time at the University of Huddersfield whilst also showing me where I can personally improve.

“During this internship I have been able to use my photography and videography skills and on my first day I was photographing a Mayor's event which had both Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester) and Steve Rotheram (Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region) there!”

As a regular content creator on YouTube and TikTok and having completed a final-year module on Political Reporting, Sam was able to demonstrate the skills and passion needed to gain this internship opportunity working as part of the West Yorkshire Mayor’s team. Despite the pandemic Sam was also able to secure two placements in the media industry during his final year, further developing his skills in social media and marketing.  

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“We are thrilled to have Sam join the team and be able to support him as he leaves the University of Huddersfield and enters the world of work! I know how daunting leaving University can be for many graduates – especially in the context of a pandemic – so it’s very important that we do all that we can to ensure young people have the best chances.

“I am also determined to make sure that creatives here in the North have the same opportunities as those growing up and living in London and the South East. I am therefore really proud to be working with the University of Huddersfield’s Yorkshire Film and Television School and I look forward to seeing Sam progress throughout his time working with us.”

The Yorkshire Film and Television School

Sam is one of many students who have benefitted from facilities at the University which are now gathered together in The Yorkshire Film and Television School enabling students to gain the skills and knowledge they need to go on to work in film making, television production, screen performance, screenwriting, music and sound production. 

Its home is a new 300 square metre dedicated film studio, with live broadcast and television studios, virtual reality and motion tracking sensors and state-of-the-art music and sound production studios, enabling students to access a range of industry-standard production equipment and software, preparing them for their future careers. Students are able to work with tutors who have been successful in industry and world-leading researchers in the study of digital screen industries.