Campus nursing cohort to grow

Amajor influx of nursing students for next year is set to further build on the health-industry training credentials of Federation University Australia’s Wimmera campus.

Campus head Geoff Lord confirmed 2019 enrolments for first-year students studying Diploma of Nursing courses had doubled on last year.

He said the offer of free TAFE courses had been a major catalyst for greater community interest in study at the Wimmera campus.

“So much so that we are confident of filling three student cohorts for Diploma of Nursing, an overall student group of about 75, as well as a 25-student cohort for Certificate III in Individual Support,” he said.

“That’s about double the intake on 2018.

“There has been a massive surge in interest and we have had to work solidly through applications to make sure students have all course-entry requirements.”

Associate Professor Lord said in response to the demand and as part of overall planning, the campus would increase the nursing laboratory space at its Baillie Street site in Horsham to five extra beds.

“We’re increasing our teaching work spaces from one to two, each with five beds and we’re also going to be spending time during the next few months converting a computer lab space into a 40-person classroom, specifically to accommodate nursing training,” he said.

Partnerships

Prof Lord said the university had been working closely with major healthcare groups and service providers across western Victoria, particularly in the Wimmera and southern Mallee, to bring the changes to fruition.

“We’ve partnered with Grampians Regional Public Hospital CEOS Group Workforce sub-committee and, as a result, Fed Uni is providing many home-grown graduates to work directly in the region,” he said.

“Critically, the majority of these people have already established families in the region and-or are already in the workforce.

“So it is not only the the health services that are benefitting from a graduating nursing workforce, but also overall regional sustainability.

“What it tells us is that the Wimmera campus of Federation University Australia is offering education and training that is in demand locally as well as statewide and beyond.”

Prof Lord predicted even more promising news from the campus in the new year.

“We’re looking forward to a very busy and productive new year,” he said.

Across the board, Federation University has received about 2500 inquiries for free TAFE courses, and across the state the program has attracted around 52,000 inquiries to eligible TAFE and dual-sector universities.

Statewide, the highest demand for free TAFE courses has been in Diploma of Nursing, Community Services and Accounting and Bookkeeping courses.