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From today, students enrolled in healthcare degrees in NSW can apply for up to $12,000 in subsidies to support them in their studies.

The initiative will create a future pipeline of health workers with up to 850 nursing students, 400 medical students and 150 midwifery students expected to enter the subsidy program each year.

Subsidies are also available for students of paramedicine, Aboriginal health, dentistry and oral health therapy, psychology, pharmacy, physiotherapy and medical physics.

It is estimated the subsidies will support around one third of health worker graduates over the next 3 years.

Students successful in their application and beginning their degrees will receive subsidies of $4000 per year over 3 years. Existing students will receive one-off payments of $8000 after acceptance of employment for a position within NSW Health.

There are a limited number of subsidies available, and applications will remain open until all subsidies are awarded.

Students must be willing to make a 5-year commitment to working in the NSW public health system.

The NSW Government is investing $121.9 million over 5 years in the Tertiary Health Study Subsidy Program.

See the full list of eligible workforce groups and locations on the NSW Health study subsidy webpage.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“In recent years, we’ve seen hardworking NSW healthcare workers leave for other states, and the competition for graduates is just as tough.

“We are fulfilling our election commitment to recruit the next generation of health workers for the people of NSW, who rely on our public hospitals.

“We are determined to ensure the nurses, paramedics, allied health workers and doctors are there for patients when they need.

“Our government is working hard so people get the care they need, when they need it.

“We are coming from a long way behind after 12 years of neglect of our healthcare system and essential workers.

“There’s a long way to go rebuilding our healthcare system, but we’re committed and we are making progress.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“Up to 4000 subsidies are now on offer for this year for health degrees including nursing, midwifery, medicine, paramedicine, allied health and health science.

“By supporting students’ health studies and transition into the NSW Health workforce, this program is one of the many initiatives this government is rolling out to support staff and increase the workforce across the public health system.

“We are committed to building a more engaged, capable and supported workforce.”

Member for Leppington Nathan Hagart said:

“The study subsidies will help lower the barrier for many here in southwestern Sydney to pursue their dream career in healthcare.

“The southwestern Sydney region is a growing area and there will always be a large demand for healthcare services, so these subsidies are an important measure to ensure our workforce of the future can meet these growing needs.”

The NSW Opposition has welcomed today’s joint investment between the Federal and NSW Governments to improve energy efficiency in social housing but says the support doesn’t go far enough.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman is calling on Premier Chris Minns to adopt the Oppositions’ NSW Energy Bill Saver program that would allow all households to receive $250 off their energy bills and unlock up to $400 in further savings by switching energy plans to a lower deal. 
 
“Chris Minns is determined to pick winners and losers as families and households struggle under Labor’s cost of living crisis,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Everyone is struggling to make ends meet at the moment, and our NSW Energy Bill Saver program would have provided help for hard working families right across our State. Chris Minns decided to scrap this commitment and instead deliver limited energy relief.”
 
The Opposition pointed to Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s broken promise to deliver $275 off power bills, saying Chris Minns’ decision is making a bad situation worse. 
 
“It’s clear that when it comes to cost of living support Chris Minns is out of touch and Labor simply can’t deliver,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Our focus is on holding this Government to account for their cuts to Back to School vouchers, Active Kids, Creative Kids, First Lap vouchers and energy relief, cuts that are hurting families and households across NSW,” Mr Speakman said.

The NSW Opposition says Premier Chris Minns is out of touch with NSW families and doesn’t understand the current cost of living crisis after he was unaware of his cuts to Back to School vouchers.
 
“In their first Budget, the Minns Labor Government axed the Liberals and Nationals Government’s Back to School vouchers, a cost of living assistance package that gave all parents $150 per child in vouchers to help with the costs of school supplies, uniforms and technology,” Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said.
 
“In a comment which shows that Chris Minns doesn’t get the current cost of living crisis, he remarkably declared that ‘Back to School vouchers haven’t been changed’”.
 
“If Chris Minns isn’t aware of his own decisions to axe cost of living support for families, how can he possibly begin to understand the impact of his cuts?”
 
Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the axing of Back to School vouchers follows Chris Minns’ decision to break his election promise and slash Active Kids, Creative Kids and First Lap vouchers.
 
“The Opposition understands the importance of helping families with the cost of school, sports and extracurricular activities – that’s why we implemented these vouchers,” Ms Mitchell said. 
 
“In another example of just how out of touch the Minns Labor Government is, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education described this important support as a ‘cash splash’.”
 
“Families are paying the price for Labor’s Budget mismanagement. The Opposition will continue to fight for families and for more support to address the increasing cost of living.”

The NSW Opposition is calling for Premier Chris Minns to help families struggling under Labor’s cost of living crisis by continuing the former Liberal and Nationals Government’s Back to School voucher program.
 
“In his first Budget, Chris Minns axed the former Government’s Back to School vouchers, a cost of living assistance package that gave all parents $150 in vouchers per child to help with the costs of school supplies, uniforms and technology,” Leader of the NSW Opposition Mark Speakman said.
 
“As parents and students prepare for a new school year, the pain of this decision is being felt right across our State. People are rightly asking what Chris Minns and his Government are doing to help address the rising cost of living.”
 
“The Back to School vouchers, along with slashing Active Kids, Creative Kids and First Lap vouchers, are casualties of Chris Minns’ broken promise that his union wage deals would be Budget-neutral and funded through productivity gains.”
 
“Chris Minns’ union pay deal will cost the NSW taxpayer $9.5 billion over the coming four years; this could pay for the Back to School voucher program almost 50 times over.”
 
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Education Sarah Mitchell said Chris Minns and his Education Minister were out of touch with the needs of families.
 
“As families struggle to cover schooling costs, Chris Minns’ Education Minister described this important program as a ‘cash splash’ – how arrogant and out of touch can you get? It’s time for NSW Labor to prioritise hard working families,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“It’s estimated that the annual cost of school supplies for a primary school student is now more than $650. These vouchers didn’t cover all the costs, but they did make a meaningful difference for families.”
 
“Parents shouldn’t have to choose between a new pair of shoes, textbooks or electronic devices, but this is the reality many families across NSW face.”

The NSW Opposition is calling on the Minns Labor Government to come clean with the people of NSW regarding their plans for Corrective Services across the State.
 
Last week it emerged that wings would be closed at Bathurst, Cessnock, Goulburn and Long Bay from 12 February, but conflicting reports about the consultation undertaken requires the Minister for Corrections to come clean on the Government’s plans.
 
“On the one hand, the Department of Corrections claim sufficient consultation was undertaken, while on the other hand, the Public Services Association say the upcoming closures had been “badly handled” and the union hadn’t been made aware of the plans,” Shadow Minister for Corrections Mark Taylor said.
 
“The big question mark is over the future security of jobs at these centres, particularly in the regional centres of Bathurst and Goulburn, the Minister must come clean and guarantee these jobs.”
 
“The Minns Labor Government went to the election promising integrity, accountability, transparency and fairness, yet this is another example of the Labor Government making swift decisions behind closed doors with no consultation with the public.”
 
The NSW Opposition said this is yet another example of the Minister missing in action.
 
“It’s clear that the Minister simply doesn’t have time for this Portfolio. The Minister for Corrections must come clean on his decision to not meet with the Public Services Union to discuss these closures,” Mr Taylor said.
 
“It follows the decision in October to hand control of the Junee Correctional Facility to the heavily unionised Corrective Services NSW, a decision that was taken without the Minister even visiting the Junee Correctional Centre.”
 
“The Minister’s hands-off approach should alarm every person in NSW, we need a Minister who cares about the state of Corrections.”