An audiologist from University Hospitals Tees has graduated with First Class Honours after successfully balancing four years of full-time work alongside university study.
Tom Prince, from Darlington, enrolled on the BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) degree apprenticeship at Aston University in Birmingham in September 2022, after deciding to pursue a new career within healthcare.
Having previously spent 11 years working in retail, Tom was keen to retrain but wasn’t in a position to be able to return to full-time study. The apprenticeship degree route enabled him to gain a university qualification while continuing to work and earn.
Over the following four years, Tom balanced full-time employment with studying. A supportive audiology team made travelling regularly to Birmingham to attend on-campus lectures while balancing his clinical sessions possible.
Tom said: “Undertaking my apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to retrain in a completely new field.
“Being able to learn on the job has given be valuable hands-on experience – working alongside audiology colleagues with a wealth of knowledge and experience and applying my learning in clinical settings. This experience has been invaluable in giving me the skills needed to qualify.
Thanks to a very supportive team at work, I was able to balance my work and studies with no issues and I’m grateful for their support. I would recommend a degree apprenticeship to anyone looking to start a new career or progress further in their current field. ”
After graduating with First Class Honours in summer 2026, Tom is now working as a qualified Audiologist across clinics at One Life Hartlepool, the University Hospital of Hartlepool and Peterlee Community Hospital.
A particular highlight of Tom’s studies came when he was awarded the ‘Audiology School Prize’ for the best dissertation. His research explored the role of carers who support individuals with learning disabilities and hearing loss.
Now qualified, Tom is looking forward to focusing on his career and continuing to build on what he has learned.
Tom added: “For now, I am just looking forward to getting stuck into being a qualified audiologist and developing my skills and knowledge.
“But I’m already looking out for further study opportunities and to find an area of audiology which I would perhaps like to specialise in going forward.”