THE West Cumberland Medical Education Centre, at Moor Row, has appointed two new project staff.

Valerie Smart and Steve Minto have been taken on at the University of Central Lancashire’s Westlakes Campus.

Ms Smart brings years of educational experience to the position of project manager while Mr Minto will provide administrative support.

Ms Smart will implement the development plans for the centre and will work with stakeholders to ensure a variety of projects are developed successfully within the timescales. They include the likes of student recruitment to the latest programmes, the BSc Medical Sciences Foundation for international students due to start in January, and recruiting teaching staff from science and languages backgrounds.

She will also be supporting the physician associates students recently on placement at the West Cumberland Hospital.

Valerie, of St Bees, said: “Combining the superb academic facilities at the Westlakes Campus with the new West Cumberland Hospital will enable local education and training for West Cumbria’s clinical workforce.

“I have lived locally for almost 20 years and I am passionate about our local services, so being involved from the outset with a venture which will bring in new expertise and initiatives to the area is a wonderful opportunity.”

Ms Smart completed her degree and doctorate in Glasgow before embarking on a post-doctoral research fellowship in the United States. This was followed by several years in research positions in the pharmaceutical industry.

After a career break to raise her children she was involved in a local genetics research project at the Westlakes Research Institute.

She spent the past 12 years teaching science. She was also the students’ success co-ordinator at Lakes College.

Mr Minto, of Penrith, has worked in higher education for most of his working life. He has been involved with business, creative industries and health sectors while his most recent employer was Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The centre is a collaboration between the university, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group and the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It will provide a local facility to train West Cumbria’s clinical workforce and attract the best global students to the area.