03 February 2023
The University of South Australia has signed a tri-university Memorandum of Intent (MOI) to boost allied health placements in the State’s schools, providing much needed supports for school students, and experienced, job-ready graduates for the future.
Signed by the Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer, with the three universities – UniSA, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University – the partnership will deliver an improved allied health placement program in public schools in South Australia.
Allied health programs included in the agreement are occupational therapy, psychology, speech pathology, social work, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, podiatry, human movement, and nutrition.
The initiative will help meet growing industry demands by simplifying pathways for university students to arrange work placements in government schools.
Improving the placement program will also help allied health students identify a clear employment pathway into valuable roles in the public education sector.
The formalised process will also benefit schools by providing valuable assistance to allied health professionals working in the sector.
Minister Boyer says allied health university students make an important contribution in our schools.
“By simplifying access to work placement in our schools, we can provide clearer employment pathways for these graduates, ensuring they have real world skills and valuable work experience,” Minister Boyer says.
“We have a significant skills shortage in a range of allied health occupations, not only here in South Australia, but across the country, so this MOI will help better prepare students for when they finish their studies.”
University of South Australia Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd says UniSA is pleased to be partnering with the State Government and public schools to produce allied health professionals of the future.
“This partnership provides an opportunity for UniSA to expand our clinical work placement program into schools, so that we can provide much-needed supports to school students, and continue to deliver experienced, job-ready graduates.”
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Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au
