TWO Aboriginal high school students have taken the first steps in their promising careers in midwifery and paramedicine by undertaking work placement at Western Health.
Melanie Handley is from the Yorta Yorta mob and Tiarna Cutajar is from the Kamilori mob.
The secondary students, who are completing Certificate II in Workplace Skills (Business), have been working two days a week at Western Health as part of the School-Based Aboriginal Traineeship.
Initially, the duo has been working in the People & Culture team at Footscray Hospital, where they have been kept busy creating spread sheets, assisting with events, answering emails and creating flyers.
The students said the highlight of their experience has been working within a supportive team and learning new skills.
“It’s been a good experience being around positive people and getting to know how the hospital works,” Melanie, an aspiring paramedic says.
Tiarna, who wants to study at university to become a midwife, said she was surprised at the large volume of emergency codes at the hospital, but that overall, it was not as busy as she had expected.
For the remainder of their placement, the duo will join Wilim Berrbang (Aboriginal Health Unit) at Sunshine Hospital.
The School-Based Aboriginal Traineeship is one of the ways Western Health is supporting and growing the workforce of the future.
We strive to be the workplace of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and support First Nations employees to thrive in their roles.
Read more in our Aboriginal Health Cultural Safety Plan.
Melanie Handley and Tiana Cutajar with Joanne Darmanin (People and Culture, Western Health)
