Ballarat Health Services will help Wimmera residents train and work as nurses in their own communities from July 1.
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In partnership with the Institute of Health and Nursing Australia, the organisation will offer the Certificate III in Individual Support and Diploma of Nursing qualifications online at its Centre for Education and Training in Ballarat once a week on Saturdays.
Denielle Beardmore, director of clinical education and practice development, said information sessions will take place in Warracknabeal and Stawell later this month.
"The work on Saturdays is so people can put into practice the clinical skills and theory they are learning," she said.
"The students will have to undertake clinical placements, and we're certainly hoping the three public hospitals in the Wimmera participate in those placements. We're starting conversations with them now.
Ms Beardmore said BHS was taking the initiative because it had the capacity to support regional partners in developing members of their community into nurses.
"We are well aware there are shortages and potential looming shortages in the health workforce, and we need to find different ways of creating pathways for members of the community who have wanted to join this profession but have been unable to through distance," she said.
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"We hope this means residents will be able to organise family and children and come to a class in Ballarat on the weekend."
Ms Beardmore said people who completed these qualifications could also go on to work in other sectors such as aged care.
Federation University offers both courses out of its Wimmera campus in Horsham. In January, campus manager Geoff Lord said the Baillie Street site was being modified to accommodate the number of enrolments in these courses.
West Wimmera Health Service chief executive Ritchie Dodds said nine of the organisation's staff were currently undergoing the course through the university, and doing their clinical placement at one of their sites.
"Any extra training should help the region," he said.
"Demand for nursing skills is only going to grow with the National Disability Insurance Scheme being rolled out and our aging communities, particularly given the recommendations by government and research that people stay at home for as long as it's safe for them to live there."
Mr Dodds said the organisation continued to experience a shortage of registered nurses, enrolled nurses and other healthcare workers across its facilities.
These are located at Nhill, Jeparit, Kaniva, Rainbow, Goroke, Natimuk, Minyip, Murtoa and Rupanyup.
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
