The Victorian Government have announced they’ll pay the HECS debt of anyone who wants to study nursing and midwifery in the state.
In 2023 and 2024, all newly enrolled domestic students wishing to study these fields will cop a scholarship of $16,500.
The funding is part of a massive $270 million spend by the Victorian Government to address state-wide understaffing in its healthcare facilities.
If you’re about to finish school and been thinking about studying nursing or midwifery – go for it.
We’ve got your HECS fees covered. pic.twitter.com/ZarxO3RAiQ
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) August 28, 2022
The funding is super necessary at the moment.
A skills plan released by the Victorian Skills Authority has said Victoria needs 65,000 new health and community service workers in the next 3 years. These are people like aged and disabled carers, registered nurses, welfare support workers, physiotherapists, nursing support and personal care workers.
The health and community worker sector is the most in need of recruits out of all vocational sectors. Yikes!
If you’re in Year 12 and you’ve been thinking about studying nursing or midwifery – go for it.
We’ve got your HECS fees covered.https://t.co/XhaZpqXR14
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) August 28, 2022
“All the roles in our health system are critically important, but giving people a pathway and giving people that sense of progression is critically important as well,” Victorian Premier told reporters as per The Age.
“We do know that cost can be a barrier to people undertaking that further study.
“Year 11 and 12 students who are thinking about what they might like to do as a career, they can choose nursing, free of charge, a full scholarship covering every dollar of their HECS.”
With a Victorian election locked in for November 26, nursing healthcare services will no doubt be a big debate topic.
In response to the announcement, the opposition has stated it will match the government’s $270 million pledge.
This news is definitely a positive step in the right direction for a state that has copped a metric shit tonne of time in lockdown over the past few years.
Nurses in Victoria have been pushed to the brink in some absolute nightmare scenarios.
Recently, Dan Andrews announced healthcare workers across the state would receive a one-off $3,000 bonus.
A nice gesture? Absolutely.
A permanent fix for structural issues that mean nurses cop a raw deal in terms of pay, hours and conditions? Not so much.
Regardless, if you’ve been thinking of becoming a nurse or a midwife, this could be a very large vibe.
