Hundreds of students and job-seekers have been given a taste of a rewarding career in healthcare at the inaugural CQ Health Expo.
Held at CQUniversity in Rockhampton, the two-day event saw locals joined by students from as far as the Central Highlands to discover the vast array of training and employment pathways that come from a career in regional or rural healthcare.
The CQ Health Expo was delivered through a partnership between the Regional Medical Pathway (RMP) program (a collaboration between The University of Queensland, CQUniversity and CQ Health) and Rockhampton Regional Council's economic development arm, Advance Rockhampton.
Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said strong local healthcare provides an economic boost, as well as delivering the essential services needed for a liveable Region.
"As the health hub for Central Queensland with thousands of new healthcare jobs to be created by 2028, there really are endless possibilities for students and job seekers entering the field," Mayor Williams said.
"We want to show young people that they can have a successful career in their own backyard, they can earn a decent living and give back to their community at the same time.
"Council, through Advance Rockhampton, is continually striving to showcase those career pathways, increase education offerings and boost our local health workforce."
In addition to the careers expo, representatives from across the healthcare sector gathered for a networking event on Friday night which included a keynote presentation from UQ Rural Clinical School Director, Professor Riitta Partanen.
Ms Partanen said the event showed a united front from CQ's leading healthcare organisations.
"The CQ Health Expo has brought the region's healthcare providers, training services and government agencies under one roof and that's the collaborative approach we need to build up local talent and deliver services which meet the needs of Central Queenslanders," Dr Partanen said.
"Together with our RMP partners, we are offering worldclass medical education opportunities in our regional centres to locals so that they can fulfil their healthcare career aspirations, whilst maintaining the connections to family, friends and their precious community."
Advance Rockhampton Economic Development Manager, Wade Clark, said the Region's affordability and lifestyle are the envy of other workers.
"For students studying in the field of health, Rockhampton provides a lower cost of living and a laid-back lifestyle that you just don't get in the South East," Mr Clark said.
"There is nothing more rewarding than a career which gives back to your hometown and region, and we can't wait to see the passionate young people of Rockhampton rising through the ranks at our local hospitals and clinics."
Rockhampton Regional Council provided $5,000 in sponsorship for the inaugural event as well as in-kind assistance.
