CHARLES DARWIN University’s (CDU) goal of educating homegrown doctors is now a reality with the Federal Government granting $24.5 million to establish the CDU Menzies Medical Program.

The funding will allow CDU to establish and operate the medical school in Darwin from 2026 with 40 Commonwealth-supported medical places.

The Federal Government will also provide funding to support capital, establishment, and recurrent costs. The funding comes after the CDU School of Medicine rapidly progressed with the required exploratory work, which included the development of a medical curriculum and accreditation by the Australian Medical Council. 

The university has advocated for funding to establish the school and medical program to help address the Northern Territory’s demand for doctors. 

CDU acting vice-chancellor, Professor Reuben Bolt said the opportunity to deliver world-class medical training to local Territorians would have tremendous benefits to the community.

“We thank the Federal Government for recognising and affirming the commitment of Charles Darwin University and the Menzies School of Health Research to improving the health of Territorians, and advancing their lives,” Prof. Bolt said.

“The Northern Territory community has been at the forefront of our efforts to develop this program. And for Charles Darwin University, which is of and for the Northern Territory, it is a privilege to know that we will soon be able to educate and train homegrown doctors who will provide an invaluable service to the community that we know will make a difference.”

CDU School of Medicine Foundation dean, Dianne Stephens OAM said the announcement was recognition of how important the CDU medical program was to secure a sustainable medical workforce in the NT.

“I am absolutely lost for words at how fantastic this announcement is and how it validates all the work the team has put in over two and a half years to get this program up and running for the Northern Territory community,” Prof. Stephens said.

“It is going to be a game changer for the medical workforce in the Northern Territory and we will continue to work with our partners to make sure this program is perfect for Northern Territory context.

“It’s a privilege and an honour to contribute to the growth to the Northern Territory. I love this place, my children have grown up here. We have a bright future, and this will contribute to that future.”

Menzies School of Health research director, Alan Cass AO said it was critical to train local students who understand the nuances of the Northern Territory.

“Menzies School of Health Research, with its 40-year track record of conducting research in partnership with communities across the NT and our global region, will provide world-class research opportunities to the CDU Menzies Medical School students,” Prof. Cass said.

“Local, place-based partnerships, as embodied by the new medical school, provide sustainable answers to address workforce shortages and to train doctors who understand deeply the unique health challenges of First Nations Australians living in remote areas of the Northern Territory.”

Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling OAM said the funding gave a crucial opportunity to train and retain a local medical workforce.

“There is strong demand for doctors across the country, and this historic announcement delivers on a long-standing commitment by Malarndirri, Marion and I to boost our local healthcare workforce,” Mr Gosling said.

“Training our own means that we’ll have doctors with a more nuanced understanding of the local challenges and landscape. 

“Providing culturally and clinically relevant care will support our continued efforts to get better health outcomes for Aboriginal people and all Territorians.

“We’ve got the talent here – this investment is about making sure they have the best resources and training to get them qualified and out into the local community.”

www.cdu.edu.au

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ENGINEERS from Australia and Spain will enjoy streamlined access to working in either country through a new mutual recognition agreement (MRA) between Engineers Australia and the General Council of Official Colleges of Industrial Engineers (CGCOII), Spain’s governing body for the industrial engineering profession.

The agreement was formalised by Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO and CGOII president Cesar Franco at an online ceremony hosted by the Australian Ambassador to Spain, Sophia McIntyre.

Speaking at the signing, Engineers Australia’s Ms Madew said, “As we look to the global challenges of our time – from ensuring our built environment is sustainable and resilient to climate impacts, to developing inclusive technologies and innovations – the role of engineers has never been more important. 

“Enabling skilled engineers to work across borders is an incredibly important part of addressing these challenges. That is why we have international mobility agreements which enable our members to live and work in more than 120 countries – and why today is such a significant milestone.”

Dr Franco said, “The reality and current circumstances of both countries, Spain and Australia, have big similarities in the great need for engineers in each country. While in Spain, our Engineering Observatory estimates that 200,000 engineers will be needed in the next 10 years, Engineers Australia is aiming to reach the figure of 100,000 in the next few years.

“The mobility agreement between our engineers and the Australian ones should be an incentive for future engineers from both countries. This agreement should be the best attraction for those who are thinking of studying a career with a future: engineering.”

Australian Ambassador to Spain, Sophia McIntyre welcomed the agreement as “opening the door to greater sharing of expertise and innovation at a time of significant growth in the economic relationship between Australia and Spain, particularly given the important role of Spanish infrastructure and energy companies in our green energy transition”.

The new MRA covers members of Engineers Australia who hold a relevant engineering qualification in industrial, chemical, electrical or mechanical engineering. 

It seeks to recognise the differences in qualification standards between the two countries, providing Spanish industrial engineers a pathway to meet Engineers Australia membership requirements without the initial assessment stage. Additionally, it aims to help Australian engineers meet Spanish qualification requirements, especially the six-year European Masters.

Engineers Australia, as the voice for the engineering profession in Australia, and CGCOII, advocating for professional standards in Spain, are both committed to advancing the engineering profession and fostering international cooperation, Ms Madew said.

This partnership, initially set for three years, is the second such collaboration Engineers Australia has established with a Spanish professional body, following a similar agreement with the Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (CICCP) in October 2022.

www.engineersaustralia.org.au

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By Leon Gettler, Talking Business

THE GREAT RESIGNATION is proving to be a major challenge for business.

Tom Cornell, the head of assessments (APAC) at HireVue, said Australian businesses needed to prepare for the Great Resignation and convince staff that they offer a better deal than they can get anywhere else. 

Several factors contributed to the Great Resignation, he said, and while the pandemic played a crucial role, other underlying issues were also at play. While the Great Resignation gained attention in 2021, Mr Cornell said it was essential to recognise that the labour market was complex, and multiple factors contribute to employment trends.

The phenomenon also highlights the changing expectations of workers and the need for employers to adapt to evolving preferences and priorities in the workforce. 

The psychology of resignation

Mr Cornell is a hiring expert with a background in psychometrics and industrial-organisational (IO) psychology. He said the Great Resignation had put the onus on employers in ways not seen before.    

“There’s more of an onus now on the employer to make the working environment and the role itself more attractive to not only prospective but to current employees – to not only draw that talent in but to retain them,” Mr Cornell told Talking Business.

“I think that we’re seeing a lot more confidence from employees to push and ask that from their employers.

“It you think a few decades back, it was very common to have this idea of a job for life where you get a job and that offers you structure, stability and you can work your way up the ranks over the years and your pay will come with that.

“Now people are starting to question that.,” he said. “They’re moving jobs every few years, joining start-ups, trying something new.

“People are feeling more confident about trying something new.”

Employees keen to ‘try something new’

Mr Cornell said while this had accelerated during COVID – and with “everything going digital” – this trend had been apparent for many years before. Coming from the assessment space, he said the focus had been on the candidate experience.

“We’re seeing a shift away from multiple interviews and long form assessment,” Mr Cornell said.

“A lot of organisations are putting that focus on the candidate experience, and we’re seeing that translate into that it is not enough to focus on prospective employees and make sure they’re happy with the process,” he said.

“You’ve also got to ensure you can maintain and retain them once they’re in the organisation.”

Mr Cornell said this meant companies now had to listen to employees to ascertain what was important for them.

He said there was lot of research about what this new work environment meant for different generations. The older workers would value stability and the opportunity to generate wealth whereas the newer generation would be more attracted to work life balance and living and working abroad.

He said employers now focus on having employees who are agile.

“I don’t think it’s so much for the employees to flip that back on the employers and say ‘Great you want me to be agile and flexible. I want you to be agile and flexible to what I want’.”

www.hireview.com

www.leongettler.com

Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness.

https://play.acast.com/s/talkingbusiness/talking-business-44-interview-with-tom-cornell-from-hirevue

THE Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the National Cabinet's announcement of the National Skills Agreement -- especially in light of the new construction industry training demand to meet the Federal Cabinet aim of 1.2 million new home completions within five years.

"The Agreement promises to invest $12.6 billion to expand and transform the vocational education and training (VET) sector to deliver quality training and reforms which address our critical skills needs,” HIA managing director, Jocelyn Martin said. 

“Earlier this year National Cabinet committed to building 1.2 million homes over the next five years. To build these much needed homes, it is critical that we have the key skills and workforce in place to enable us to achieve this target. 

“This investment is a key plank in addressing the skills shortages, strengthening our VET sector and training and upskilling workers into national priority areas including construction.

“Part of this agreement includes the establishment of nationally networked Centres of Excellence involving partnerships between TAFEs, universities, Jobs and Skills Councils and industry,” Ms Martin said.

While broadly supportive of these targeted ‘Centres of Excellence’ which can focus on key skills gaps, HIA has stressed the importance of the Australian Government broadening the focus beyond TAFEs to also recognise the key role played by industry specific training organisations.

These organisations deliver training developed by industry for industry and also have the capacity to deliver targeted skills in regional areas.

Included in the $12.6 billion funding is $100 million to support, grow and retain a quality VET workforce, $250 million to improve VET completions including women and others who face completion challenges and $142 million to improve foundation skills training capacity, quality and accessibility.

“The National Skills Agreement promises to deliver much needed changes to the VET system and the opportunity to target skills and reforms which will make a difference to our industry and our capacity to deliver on the Government’s plan to build 1.2 million homes,” Ms Martin said.

ends.