The 2025 cohort of Deadly Start Trainees have commenced across Metro South Health (MSH), bringing a fresh wave of enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.
A total of 29 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 11 students will be welcomed at Princess Alexandra, Logan, QEII, Redland, and Beaudesert Hospitals, Public Health Unit and Rehab@Home.
Renee Staats, Director HR Governance said the team has been working since 2023 to develop a successful program.
“It continues to grow, and we’re thrilled to welcome two more trainees this year than we had last year,” Renee said.
“As the program progresses, we’re starting to see the benefits for not only our hospitals but also the students. We are now seeing previous Deadly Start Trainees enrolling in university programs to further progress their formal qualifications.
“These students are offered continued employment support either through the Cadetship Program or employment opportunities within MSH.
“Our pathways for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people continue to expand. This year, our Public Health Environmental Unit, Rehab@Home and Beaudesert Hospital will be supporting Deadly Start Trainees for the first time, which is an exciting indication of the program’s growth.”
“This is a great opportunity for our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to commence their career pathway in health and introduce them to what it’s like to work in a hospital setting, via a one day per week paid 12-month traineeship program.
“We are placing trainees in our usual areas of Assistants in Nursing, Allied Health, Administration, Operational Services and Pharmacy. This year, we are also offering first time traineeships in Information Technology, Indigenous Environmental Health and Individual Support.
“For our staff, it also gives them the chance to engage with and help grow the next generation of healthcare workers and creates a health workforce that represents our community.”
MSH is proud to be partnering with Metro North Health who are leading the statewide expansion of the Deadly Start Program. The team also works very closely with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Directorate to provide cultural mentoring support to the trainees. Without these partnerships, the program wouldn’t be as successful as it is.
“We are committed to growing employment, training and career development opportunities for First Nations people so that our workforce can accurately reflect the community we treat with the benefit of more culturally accessible healthcare,” said Renee.
The Deadly Starts Program is a key initiative aligned with Metro South Health’s First Nations Health Equity Strategy which aims to improve access to and the experience of healthcare for First Nations peoples.
More here: First Nations Health Equity Strategy 2022–2025 | Metro South Health