More than 10,000 budding nurses and midwives will have their university degrees paid off in full to ease workforce pressures on the Australia’s state of Victoria’s stretched health system.
The nurses and midwives will be recruited and trained for free from next year as part of a A$270 million (US$186 million) initiative announced by the Victorian government on Sunday.
Under the five-year program, all new domestic students enrolling in a professional-entry nursing and midwifery course in 2023 and 2024 will receive a scholarship of up to $16,500 to cover course costs.
Students will receive A$9,000 (US$6,199) over their three years of study and the remaining A$7500 (US$5,166) would be paid off if they work in Victorian public health services for two years….