Forum steers students into world of healthcare job choices
Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from providers including TAFE NSW and university representatives
Nearly 100 aspiring healthcare workers have attended the first Illawarra Health Careers Forum to explore the careers and pathways available to them.
Senior high school students from 10 Illawarra schools attended alongside their families to gain insight from healthcare workers across diverse fields including dentistry, physiotherapy, medicine and paramedics.
Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from providers including TAFE NSW and university representatives.
"I think opportunities like this are so important for kids, but also for their parents," says Educational Pathways Program (EPP) representative Michelle Hope.
"This is a really good chance for parents to come and hear from professionals as well. Parents are a big influence on their kids, and having those informative discussions at home is key to directing a kid in the way they need to go."
"It's looking to the New South Wales skill shortages, so the healthcare industry is on that plan. In terms of the jobs and skills data, the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region has a growing demand for healthcare roles across the whole industry over the next five to 10 years, so it's a priority."
The event comes as a collaborative initiative between the Educational Pathways Program (EPP), Regional Industry Educational Partnerships (RIEP) and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO).
"In the Educational Pathways Program, we always look at giving opportunities to students to broaden their horizons and think beyond what they can see in the school and what they can see in their families," adds Lyn Kenny, career learning coordinator from EPP.
Panelists including Torren Carter (oral health) and Jackson Cruwys (physiotherapy) highlighted that university wasn't the only entry point into the health sector and shared their own alternative routes.
Torren noted that roles such as dental assisting offer on-the-job competency training and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBAT) for Year 11 students while Jackson shared his journey of pivoting from sitting the UMAT for medicine to pursuing physiotherapy at Western Sydney University.
EPP representative Drew Cairncross says that these stories help students understand the many pathways available to them.
"Some of the panel guys didn't necessarily go to university. They got there eventually in a different way, which is different from most people's thoughts that you have to go to uni," he says.
By highlighting these varied and unconventional routes, the forum helped dispel the myth that a career in healthcare requireg a linear academic path.
As the No.1 employer in the region, healthcare is a popular professional field for young people to aspire to, especially as growing demand is expected in the next decade.
"I just really care for people and I want to look after people. I know what it's like to be in a hospital and suffer myself with illnesses. I just want to help people," says Lisa, a student who attended.
The event was held at Shellharbour Civic Centre on July 22. Organisers hope to provide a second forum in 2027.
