The Allan Labor Government is ensuring health sector workers will have crucial new skills at their fingertips, with new digital training courses underway for Grampians Health’s workforce.

Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing Colin Brooks today visited Ballarat Base Hospital to see a demonstration of the training supported by the Skills Solutions Partnerships program, which has been boosted by an additional $4.75 million from the Economic Growth Statement.

The Skills Solutions Partnerships program will see industry partner with TAFEs and universities to design and pilot new short courses and on-the-job training. These courses are focused on quickly addressing skills gaps in priority sectors.

In Ballarat, RMIT has partnered with Grampians Health and Cisco Networking Academy, receiving funding to deliver a digital training pilot to upskill frontline, clinical and IT staff.

The pilot is training more than 360 staff at Grampians Health, with modules including emerging technologies in healthcare along with specialised courses in AI and data management. The training has proven popular with demand exceeding places available.

Following completion of the pilot phase, the training will be delivered to Grampians Health’s broader workforce of over 7,000 staff across 11 LGAs in Victoria’s north-west region.

The training program has been designed to be scalable to meet the needs of other healthcare providers across the nation, including other Victorian providers, with almost one quarter of the state’s 340,000-healthcare workforce based in regional and rural locations.

The Labor Government will continue to support the establishment of more Skills Solutions Partnerships, with Round 2 of the program expecting to launch in the coming months. To learn more about the Skills Solutions Partnerships program, visit the Business Victoria website.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing Colin Brooks

“We are upskilling the digital skills of Victoria’s healthcare workforce, which will lead to a greater uptake of new technologies that could improve the patient experience and increase efficiencies across our health services.

“The Skills Solutions Partnerships program is helping address skills gaps in our workforce by piloting industry-led training approaches, including short courses and on-the-job learning models.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney

“This partnership is boosting digital skills — skills that are foundational in almost all jobs. And it’s a great example of how we’re bringing industry and training providers together to co-design innovative training solutions that meet the needs of both workers and employers.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas

“This training is equipping our regional health workforce with the digital skills they need to provide the very best care to Victorians.”

Quote attributable to Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison

“It’s fantastic to see Ballarat leading the way in digital health training that supports our frontline workers and improves patient care.”

Quote attributable to Member for Eureka Michaela Settle

“Our regional health workers deserve access to the very best training and technology, no matter where they live or work. This program is boosting local capability and strengthening patient care – it’s a real win for both our workforce and the people they care for.”

Quote attributable to Member for Ripon Martha Haylett

“This exciting pilot is a model for healthcare innovation that can benefit healthcare workers and their patients right across rural and regional Victoria.”

Quotes attributable to Director of RMIT’s Health Transformation Lab Nithya Solomon

“We’re proud to deliver a flexible education solution that rapidly upskills health sector workers and targets specific skills gaps across the Grampians Health network.”

Quotes attributable to Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser

“Digital transformation in healthcare, particularly through the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), is not just about adopting new technologies. It’s about enhancing patient care, improving efficiency, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.”