Deakin partners with GMHBA to address workforce shortages and boost job opportunities for students

The two organisations will come together on shared priorities in employment, education, research, and leadership.

The new collaboration builds on the Regional Skills Strategy established by The Gordon's 'Skilling the Bay', Deakin and the Committee for Geelong to address skills, training, and employment challenges exacerbated by the COVID pandemic.

Students are the big winners under the agreement. A talent pathway for Deakin students will create new GMHBA placements and internships for people studying nursing, optometry, marketing and human resources.

GMHBA will also establish a graduate program for business, and law students, as well as develop programs and lobby stakeholders in areas of skills shortage, such as clinical and technology professionals.

The alliance will contribute to regional leadership, with the creation of the Digital Leaders Forum. Founded by Deakin and GMHBA, this collaboration of Geelong-based organisations will collectively develop digital skills capability and cybersecurity projects.

GMHBA CEO David Greig said it was an exciting opportunity for the two organisations to make a meaningful change in the futures of students, while addressing serious workforce shortages in the health services space.

"This formalises the commitment GMHBA and Deakin University have made to making real change in the future of health services, not just in Geelong but more broadly as graduates grow their careers," he said.

"We are also excited about the opportunities this will create for students in marketing, human resources, business and law courses as the partnership showcases GMHBA's values in which we commit to be people focused, purposeful, worthy of trust and remarkable."

Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said with Australia's current health workforce crisis, the Deakin-GMHBA collaboration would begin to address some critical skills shortages and help build a strong, healthy and sustainable region.

"Innovative industry partnerships such as these are part of Deakin's strategy to be Australia's most progressive university and maximise the social, cultural and economic impact Deakin delivers for the communities we serve," Professor Martin said.