THE University of Southern Queensland will expand its health care programs this year for students looking to break into the health profession as an allied health assistant.
The new Associate Degree of Allied Health will enable graduates to finish with two qualifications in as little as two years and job certainty within the burgeoning industry.
The program, which starts next month, is part of a suite of new allied health and wellbeing degrees the University has launched at its Ipswich campus to help tackle the shortage of skilled workers.
Program director for the new degree, Dr Anna Girardi said the degree was designed to ensure students had strong networks with students from other allied health courses and industry experience so they could enter the workforce job ready.
“We wanted to create a degree that enabled students to study core allied health courses alongside students enrolled in the Bachelor programs,” Dr Girardi said.
“Students will be able to select a stream, such as occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work or physiotherapy (commencing 2024), and will have the opportunity to learn from industry professionals while commencing their studies in allied health.”
With a strong focus on rural and regional health, students will cover the foundations of evidence-based practice, human communication, anatomy, physiology, culture, health, illness and working with diverse populations.
Students will graduate with a university qualification and a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance, ready to work as an allied health assistant or commence further study in occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work or physiotherapy.
“Allied health professionals represent more than a quarter of the health workforce, and demand for more allied health workers is expected to grow further, especially in rural and remote areas,”
