Bendigo Allied Health pathways placements coordination project

Loddon Campaspe region The Bendigo Allied Health pathways placements coordination project aims to improve pathways into allied health in the Bendigo region through co-designed, place-based engagement with schools, vocational education and training (VET), industry and universities.

The Loddon Campaspe Health Sector Regional Skills Pathways Road Map (2020–21)(opens in a new window) highlighted limited industry connections as a challenge for the local health workforce. The Bendigo Education Plan(opens in a new window), launched in 2018, prioritises industry-school collaboration to improve career pathways.

The VSA has undertaken stakeholder interviews and 2 large group co-design workshops to further explore both challenges and opportunities. Key findings have included the following:

Health services face pressure to provide placements, with limited capacity
There is not enough data on pathways from study to employment in the allied health sector to support a business case for employers in allied health
Students need industry exposure from a young age to understand the range of career opportunities in the sector
Other types of industry exposure for placement are needed to support the capacity of industry and to further engage students
Pathways from the Certificate III Allied Health Assistance VET course for high school students need to be clearly articulated into the Certificate IV course.

The VSA will now work with stakeholders to prototype solutions.

Find out more about our co-design projects.

Updated 23 May 2025