FOLLOWING the success of the first intake of students to complete the Budyubari Bidyiri Kebi Stapal (Big Dream Small Steps) program, the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) is encouraging current Year 10 students to consider applying for the school-based health traineeships.
MHHS Manager HR Strategy & Engagement Onno Van Es said nine students graduated from the program last month, and all planned to pursue careers in the health sector.
“These students from six different high schools have all completed Certificate lll qualifications in either Health Services Assistance or Allied Health Assistance, and they are all interested in continuing their studies in health care,” Mr Van Es said.
“Some want to be nurses or doctors, and others want to pursue careers in allied health such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or medical imaging.
“It’s a great result from the first intake of the Big Dream Small Steps program, which aims to increase the number of people in our workforce who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
“We currently have about 2.3 per cent and we want to increase that to 6 per cent to be in line with the proportion of the wider health service community that identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.”
A Mackay Hospital and Health Service Big Dreams Small Steps Welcome Day will be held next Wednesday, November 30 with two sessions available for students and their families who want to find out more about the traineeship program.
These will be conducted from 9am to 10.30am, and from 2pm to 3.30pm.
Mackay HHS will partner with registered training organisation Connect N Grow to deliver the training.
Connect N Grow in partnership with Seed Foundation Australia provide holistic and wraparound support to First Nations senior school students.
To register to attend the Welcome Day click on the following link Mackay Hospital and Health Service Big Dream, Small Steps Welcome Day Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite.
To lodge an Expression of Interest in undertaking a traineeship click on the following link.
Mackay Hospital and Health Service Big Dream, Small Steps (Expression of Interest Form) (google.com)
