Rachel asked the Minister for Health to release emergency funding to ensure that nursing and midwifery graduates can secure employment.
Wednesday the 29th of October, 2025
Victorian Legislative Council
Rachel Payne (South-Eastern Metropolitan):
My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the delivery of an emergency funding package to ensure nursing and midwifery graduates secure work. During the COVID pandemic our health system was pushed to the brink, and we asked a lot from our healthcare workers. These included people who stepped up and selflessly took on roles as nursing assistants to help at a critical time. Many of these people, often young women, realised that they loved the work and went on to enrol into nursing degrees, which the Victorian government helped pay for. In 2022 the Victorian government offered to pay the course fees for more than 10,000 nursing and midwifery undergraduates with hopes to boost staffing across strained healthcare services. In 2026 these nursing and midwifery students will enter the workforce. Unfortunately, what should be an exciting time is now full of anxiety.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation warns that increased workforce retention due to cost of living means that more than 2000 student nurses will be left without graduate positions next year, up from 350 the year prior. They are calling on the Victorian government to step in with an emergency funding package to ensure nursing and midwifery graduates secure work. I spoke with these women outside of Parliament at a rally a few weeks ago; there were so many bright and eager and talented people who were willing to give back and are now worried that they will not be able to. While there may be a short-term surplus of graduates, the government’s own modelling shows that by 2027 we will need these nurses in the system to address shortages, but if these graduates do not have jobs to go into next year we risk losing them to other professions. These graduates received scholarships from the Victorian government to ensure their degrees, but somehow that support was not extended to helping them use their degrees. Part of these scholarships were contingent on two years of work in the Victorian public health system; now those roles do not exist, graduates are set to be $7,500 worse off.
I ask: will the minister deliver an emergency funding package to ensure nursing and midwifery graduates secure work?
Response received, 9th of December 2025:
This year, we’ve seen a strong demand for positions through the Graduate Nurse Match Program combined with increased retention across the existing workforce.
This reflects the strength of our public healthcare system, and the investments the Allan Labor Government have made in our hospitals – including a 28 per cent pay rise for our hard-working nurses and midwives
It’s important to note that the graduate match is not a formal requirement and that there are other pathways to gain experience, build skills and commence a rewarding career in nursing or midwifery. This includes opportunities in aged care, disability care, primary care, and community health.
The Government will continue to work with graduate nurses, health services and industrial partners to make sure we have the health workforce Victorians need.
The Hon Mary-Anne Thomas MP
Minister for Health
Minister for Ambulance Services
Related:
> Abortion care is health care – Rachel Payne
> Government pledge of 800 new mental health staff goes unfulfilled – Rachel Payne
> Cranbourne needs affordable mental health care – Rachel Payne
