Case study: School traineeships starting First Nations health careers

Metro North Health's Deadly Start Education2Employment program is giving young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students a head start into healthcare roles, including nursing, midwifery, oral health, dental assisting, food services and allied health and administration.

The Deadly Start program is one of several schoolbased health support services traineeship programs Queensland Health runs to futureproof the workforce and ignite early interest in healthcare careers.

The program is a partnership between Metro North Health and a number of Registered Training Organisations to deliver a dedicated program for high school students who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Students are recruited in Year 10 and commence a nationally recognised Certificate II in Health Support Services qualification over the first 6 months (2 school terms) of Year 11. This qualification provides them with the foundational skills, knowledge and practical experience of working in the health sector.

Students who complete the Certificate II and have a desire to further explore a nursing, dental, food services, allied health, patient support services or health administration career, can transition into a CERT III School-Based Deadly Start traineeship with Metro North Health at locations including the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The Prince Charles, Caboolture, Redcliffe, STARS and other clinics.

Throughout the program, students will learn key skills in areas including infection control and safety, first aid and CPR, delivering quality healthcare to patients, roles and duties of an assistant in nursing, administration, and career options within the health industry. There are 45 Deadly Start students who commenced the Certificate III school-based traineeship across Metro North Health services in 2022.

Maddison Wiggs is one student to have benefited from the Deadly Start program through her traineeship at Caboolture Hospital while a student at St Columban's College. A proud Ngemba woman, Maddison has a keen interest in biomechanics and is delighted to be completing a Certificate III ins Allied Health Assistance, with a focus on physiotherapy.

Maddison's success and commitment to her traineeship was recognised at the 2021 Queensland Training Awards, winning the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year category at the North Coast regional final and progressing on to be a state finalist.

Maddison is currently working as a Clinical Assistant at Caboolture Hospital whilst undertaking her Bachelor of Physiotherapy at the Australian Catholic University.