My path into biomedical science was anything but conventional. As a young Black woman, I faced a setback when my A-level results fell short. University felt like a distant fantasy, and STEM seemed reserved for those with perfect grades. Through clearing, I found a lifeline: a Higher National Diploma (HND) in applied biology. This vocational course wasn’t the traditional path, but it sparked my passion for laboratory work, leading to a BSc in biomedical science. That journey shaped me into the Chartered Biomedical Scientist, lecturer, STEM Ambassador, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) advocate I am today, leading BAMS Space: No Ceiling to empower underrepresented students.
My journey wasn’t easy. After earning my degree, I discovered I needed Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) accreditation, requiring extra training and a portfolio to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), as well as work as a biomedical scientist. I almost didn’t make it – simply because I didn’t know what was required. It was education, awareness, and access that opened the door to my career.
Now, those same opportunities are at risk for the next generation. T Levels are two-year qualifications designed to give students aged 16-19 practical and theoretical experience to thrive in the workplace – an alternative to A levels and apprenticeships. The UK government’s decision to cancel the healthcare science T Level is a major setback – especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds who rely on alternative routes into lab medicine. As someone working to advance STEM, I believe we must fight to keep this program. The future of pathology – and the UK National Health Service (NHS) – depends on it.
A crisis for laboratory medicine
Laboratory medicine is the NHS’s heartbeat, underpinning 70 percent of clinical diagnoses, from hematology to molecular pathology. Yet, the sector faces a dire workforce crisis. In 2025, the UK reported a shortfall of 173,000 STEM workers, with healthcare science roles, biomedical science, clinical science, and medical physics among the hardest hit.
The NHS grapples with over 100,000 vacancies, with 49 percent of employers struggling to fill over 40,000 tech-related positions. The healthcare science T Level, launched in 2021, was designed to address this by training students for laboratory roles. But with only 136 enrolments in September 2024, compared to 3,772 in health and 365 in science T Levels, its cancellation risks deepening this crisis.
The Department for Education (DfE) attributes the decision to “low demand,” but this overlooks systemic barriers. High STEM dropout rates, with 9.8 percent of students abandoning technical courses like computer science, mirror challenges in healthcare science: complex curricula, limited early exposure, and socioeconomic constraints. For students like me, who struggle with traditional academics or don’t initially see STEM as viable, T Levels offer a practical entry to careers they might never have considered post-secondary education.
The T Level bridge
The healthcare science T Level was a transformative pathway for pathology. Unlike more general health or science T Levels, it offered focused training in lab techniques like microbiology, blood testing, and tissue processing – preparing students for careers as biomedical scientists, histotechnologists, or clinical scientists. Its 45-day industry placements gave students valuable hands-on experience, especially important for NHS labs.
For students uninterested in A-levels or university – particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds – this program was a vital alternative, just like my HND was for me. It opened doors to meaningful careers in lab medicine, where professionals play a key role in patient care.
Now, the decision to scrap this T Level and fold it into broader programs by 2026 puts all of that at risk. Pathology requires specific, hands-on skills – not just general knowledge. Without a dedicated pathway, fewer students will enter healthcare science, worsening staff shortages in the NHS and increasing reliance on costly agency workers, which cost the NHS £3 billion between 2023 and 2024.
This move goes against the UK government’s goal of building a future-ready NHS and could harm patient care, since accurate and timely diagnoses depend on a strong pathology workforce.
My journey, their future
My journey illustrates the stakes. After struggling with my A-levels, I felt like a failure. STEM careers seemed out of reach, reserved for those with clear academic paths. The HND in applied biology, secured through clearing, was my second chance. Its practical focus rebuilt my confidence, leading to my BSc.
But even then, I hit another barrier: I didn’t know my biomedical science degree needed IBMS accreditation or that I’d need experiential portfolios for HCPC registration. This lack of awareness added months of stress and effort, nearly derailing my career. If I – a determined student – struggled, what chance do today’s youth have without clear guidance and accessible pathways?
As a STEM Ambassador, I meet students who echo my story. One 16-year-old mentee, from a low-income background, had no plans for further education after secondary school. Exams overwhelmed her and STEM felt inaccessible, until she shadowed a lab technician during a school visit I organised. Her excitement at handling samples mirrored my own when I discovered applied biology. The T Level could be her HND, sparking a career in pathology she’d never have considered. But without it, students like her may leave education, and STEM will lose their potential.
Strategic solutions
The low uptake of the healthcare science T Level is due to several systemic issues – but we can solve them with practical steps focused on education, awareness, and access.
Lack of awareness: Many students – especially from diverse backgrounds – don’t even know careers in lab medicine exist. I’ve mentored teens who had never met a Black scientist until they met me.
Solution: Fund national awareness campaigns and expand STEM Ambassador visits to schools in underserved areas. Share real success stories to help students relate to careers in pathology.
Accessibility Barriers: Socioeconomic challenges and complex coursework discourage non-traditional students. STEM dropout rates are high – about 1 in 10 in technical fields. My HND helped bridge that gap, and T Levels can too.
Solution: Provide scholarships, travel support, and prep programs to help more students succeed in T Levels and ensure they’re inclusive.
Employer Reluctance: Smaller labs and employers often can’t afford the time or cost of student placements.
Solution: Offer government grants to cover placement costs and create a DfE support hub with resources and flexible models like part-time or block placements.
Perception and Navigation Issues: T Levels are seen as less flexible than Business and Technology Education Council Diplomas (BTECs), and students often don’t understand the career path. I struggled with unclear requirements after my degree, so I know how confusing it can be.
Solution: Rebrand the T Level to make it more appealing and practical. Develop clear, DfE-backed career guides that explain training and accreditation for roles in healthcare science.
EDI Gaps: Many underrepresented students lack role models, face financial barriers, or deal with bias. Just 11 percent of STEM workers are ethnic minorities, and only 27 percent are women.
Solution: Partner with EDI organizations like Cajigo, STEM Learning UK, WISE, BBSTEM, SISTEM UK, BYP Network, and others to provide mentorship and visible role models – ensuring T Levels reach and support a diverse range of students.
Through BAMS Space: No Ceiling, I’ve seen how access to opportunity can change lives. For one of my mentees – a young Black student – the healthcare science T Level could have been a pathway into pathology without the pressure of traditional academics. Cancelling the program sends the wrong message: that STEM isn’t for everyone. It deepens inequality and takes away the diverse voices that make pathology more innovative and culturally aware. The NHS loses not just workers, but the potential for progress in diagnostics and patient care.
As someone who works to improve access in STEM, I can see the wider impact. Without T Levels, fewer students will enter healthcare science, worsening NHS staff shortages and risking patient outcomes. This decision also goes against the government’s promises on equality, diversity, and inclusion – and its goal of building a skilled STEM workforce. My own path shows what’s possible when there are clear and supportive pathways. We can’t allow those doors to close for future healthcare scientists.
A vision for the future
Imagine a future where T Levels inspire a diverse generation of healthcare scientists. Picture students from underrepresented communities, those who didn’t excel at secondary education or know about accreditation, thriving in NHS labs, diagnosing diseases, and shaping healthcare. This vision requires action now: STEM education providers reinvesting in T Level facilities to train pathologists; employers advocating for placement incentives to build a skilled workforce; policymakers reversing this cancellation and funding reforms to ensure education, awareness, and access. My HND was a lifeline – the T Level can be one for countless others, particularly those who never dreamed of STEM. Let’s keep pathology’s future open for all.
Bamidele Farinre is Chartered Biomedical Scientist, FIBMS, HCPC CSci, STEM Ambassador, and Founder of BAMS Space: No Ceiling
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