John Adesoye has turned a late career change into a fresh start. The 64-year-old Nigerian father of five now works as a nurse in Bristol after years in electronics and healthcare.
The BBC report, published on Sunday, July 19, 2026, said Adesoye trained through a degree apprenticeship at the University of the West of England. He spent one day a week at Glenside campus and the rest at Southmead Hospital.
John Adesoye, a 64-year-old Nigerian father of five, has graduated as a nurse in the United Kingdom and secured work at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. He began as a healthcare assistant in 2014 and says his story shows that age should not block learning.
From electronics to patient care
Adesoye grew up in Nigeria and worked as an electronics technician in Greece before moving to the UK in 2013. He later joined Southmead Hospital as a healthcare assistant in 2014.
“If I can do it, others can too. People are more brilliant and stronger than they think,” he said.
He said his move into healthcare felt natural. He compared helping patients recover with fixing broken devices.
“When I was caring for electronic devices, I was happy when I could get broken devices working again. In my work in healthcare, when patients get better it gives me great joy and satisfaction,” he said.
Study, work and family life
Adesoye worked across cardiology, A&E and intensive care during his apprenticeship. He also balanced hospital work with study at the university.
“The moment you start in higher education, you’ll see that the door will continue to open for you,” he said.
“It’s never too late,” Adesoye added.
Praise from the Bristol team
Jacqui Caskey and Caroline Bromwich, who co-lead the registered nurse degree apprenticeship, praised his effort. They said nurse apprentices carry heavy loads outside the classroom too.
“Being a nurse apprentice is no mean feat,” they said.
“They juggle this with busy lives, along with family and caring commitments.”
Professor Steve Hams, chief nursing officer at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust felt proud of Adesoye’s success. He said the whole team were “incredibly proud” of him.
