A new Wellness Centre will be established in Gippsland to train the next generation of allied health professionals, thanks to the Victorian Government.
The $1.1 million Federation University project will be located at the Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre in Traralgon and act as a one-stop-shop for training in areas including physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy and speech pathology.
The funding will help fit out the existing state-of-the-art recreation centre with treatment beds, x-ray viewers, rehabilitation equipment and overbed camera technology for teaching as well as teaching and workshop spaces at the adjacent Latrobe Performing Arts Centre.
The Wellness Centre will allow locals to train and upskill within their community, before finding a rewarding job in the local healthcare sector. The facility will eventually open to the general public, with services provided by qualified allied health professionals, improving access to healthcare for Gippsland locals.
The centre is expected to open mid-2022, with student placement numbers yet to be announced.
The Government contributed $750,000 to the project in a joint effort by Federation University and the Latrobe City Council.
The unprecedented $350 million Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund is supporting universities with capital works, research infrastructure projects and applied research focused on boosting Victoria’s productivity and economy as the state recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Vic Government