A group of local high school students were offered a rare glimpse into the “engine room” of a busy hospital as part of TAFE NSW Liverpool’s first ever Youth Engagement Strategy (YES) Health and Wellbeing Program.

The nine-week program saw 30 students from Miller Technology High School, Ashcroft High and Hoxton Park High spend one day a week exploring different employment areas of the health and wellbeing industry.

With around 21,720 new jobs being created in Health Care and Social Assistance in Western Sydney between 2017 to 2020, and the Westmead Health Precinct alone expected to create 3500 jobs by 2021,[1] the TAFE NSW YES Health and Wellbeing Program shows students where there is demand for work in a particular industry.

Throughout the program, students received a range of hands on experience, learning about the human body, vital observations, infection control, fall prevention, allied health and wellness activities.

Aiming to engage young people who are at risk of disengaging from school, the program provides students with the employability and foundational skills to encourage them to re-engage in their studies.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher, Rhonda Mulligan said, “This partnership between high schools and TAFE NSW Liverpool helps students to re-engage with formal schooling, explore further education and training options, or discover a successful employment pathway.

“The YES Health and Wellbeing Program gives students the opportunity to explore many different areas of the health and wellbeing space. From physiotherapy, to dental and healthy eating concepts, the program gives the students a taste of the different paths of employability in the sector.”

The unique program saw students spend time at Liverpool Hospital and the Ingham Institute’s Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre, where they experienced PhD students working on cancer cells, where they were provided with insights into hand washing, and given a look into the centre’s wet and dry labs.

Peka Toleafoa from Miller Technology High School said, “I have had the most amazing time completing this program and have learnt so much about the health industry, like CPR, how to take someone’s pulse, self defence when working in health care and even how to bandage a snake bite.

“We were also lucky enough to visit Liverpool Hospital and the Ingham Institute to see their facilities and experience what it would be like to work in a hospital, which I really enjoyed.”

Media contact: Emma Cawley, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner, mobile 0412 478 415