CASE STUDY
Holmesglen Institute
An expanded partnership that enriches students’ understanding of course options and career pathways in Health in the Monash Precinct.
Partnership
Monash LGA students live and learn in an Education and Healthcare precinct, which includes Monash Medical Centre, Monash Children Hospital and the new Victorian Heart Hospital.
We know our partner schools value careers and pathways opportunities, but complex workloads continue to be major constraints to forming the industry and tertiary relationships required to organise bespoke immersion days.
Holmesglen’s Faculty of Health Science, Youth and Community Services has partnered with Monash Tech School (MTS) to design and deliver twice-yearly Industry Immersion Days, which focus on careers in Health. The Healthcare sector continues to require more staff than we can currently train, and Healthcare continues to remain a focus for students interested in challenging, rewarding and stable career opportunities.
With the overhaul of the VCE, some schools are navigating VET options for the first time. Holmesglen delivers 2 VET options in the Health sector: Health and Allied Services and Laboratory Skills. Both can contribute to an ATAR outcome as well as provide a direct pathway to entry-level positions in the Health and Community sectors. When students have the opportunity to investigate where they might study, train and achieve qualifications at an earlier stage, they can make informed decisions about pathways, as well as set themselves up for work opportunities whilst still studying.
Holmesglen has recently established its own Bachelor of Nursing degree, where students train in a highly regarded, state-of-the-art Simulation facility. By completing a VET qualification, securing automatic entry to the Diploma of Nursing and with a credit average achieved in the Diploma, students will gain automatic entry to the Bachelor degree, with recognition of prior learning provided. Whilst there are enrolment fees, these options do not attract University HECS costs and may be an attractive option for students looking to enter the industry without onerous HECS fees.
With this in mind, MTS promoted the Health Days to schools that had students interested in VET, as well as students interested in an alternative tertiary provider option for their Nursing or Allied Health career.
In order to support our tertiary partner, MTS has managed the promotion to schools, administered the documentation, funded transport, developed an evaluation process and issued a digital badge for students who attended the day.
Managing the administrative requirements of the sessions allowed Holmesglen to focus on developing bespoke program content.
Program
Sessions were capped at manageable numbers, allowing for an intimate experience where all students could use the technology, complete industry designed tasks and have one-on-one access to Healthcare professionals and Student Ambassadors. Students from Years 9-11 were the target cohort, with some Year 12 students attending as well.
Students were pre-organised into small groups and rotated through tasks across the day. Rotations included: Life as a Nurse during COVID, Simulation Centre, Laboratory Skills and Allied Health.
The Industry Immersion sessions allowed secondary school students access to the Simulation Centre, usually reserved for Diploma and Bachelor students only. They also donned COVID protective gear, completed modified tasks typically ordered in a Pathology Lab and conducted triage tasks in a simulated environment.
MTS designed a Credly-backed digital badge, which has been co-branded with Holmesglen Institute’s faculty of Health Science. The badge is issued to participating students and captures the tasks and observations students experienced during the day. The e-badge can be included on a resume, LinkedIn or other social media platforms and can be used by students to demonstrate and discuss their experience in a Healthcare setting. As work experience, Structured Workplace Learning and work placements are highly competitive in Healthcare settings, a digital badge can and will provide the point of difference for students keen to secure meaningful industry experience.
Sessions were completed with a “Where to from Here” wrap-up, which outlined the advantages of completing a VET qualification whilst still at secondary school and how a short course or Diploma might support students taking a gap year after Year 12.
Whilst many of our partner school students value the University pathway, the Holmesglen Immersion sessions have broadened their insight into options available during and after secondary school. This information supports students’ building of a safety net, which generates confidence and empowers students to understand that the ATAR score is not the only pathway to achieving a rewarding, highly skilled and valued career in the Health sector.
Outcomes
The partnership has linked Holmesglen Institute with MTS partner school students who are interested in VET and alternative post-secondary school study options but, because of COVID restrictions, have not had the opportunity to explore deeply what Holmesglen has to offer. It identified current, new and emerging careers in high demand and utilised technologies currently used in training in an adult learning environment. It generated a meaningful and relevant artefact for students to use during their career journey and has developed connections between schools that have not previously had a significant relationship with Holmesglen Institute.
