APS Submission to the Victorian Health Workforce Strategy

The APS recently made a submission to the Victorian Health Workforce Strategy in which we emphasised the factors impacting workforce growth for the profession of psychology. Diminishing opportunities for post-graduate training at universities, and challenges associated with placements and supervision alongside the increasing demand for psychological services were highlighted. We recommended a number of strategies to address this situation and improve opportunities for workforce growth in psychology, including:

• Supported supervisor training, and incentives for supervisors to take on students on placement and new graduates,
• Programs to support universities so that they are in a position to increase the number of places for post-graduate students,
• Placement opportunities for postgraduate students via better collaboration between universities, services and government, including joint university/health service psychology staff positions, and
• The appointment of a Victorian Chief Psychologist.

In addition, we urged the Victorian Government to call on the Federal Government to:

• Increase funding for postgraduate psychology training so universities do not lose money by offering these programs,
• Ensure a minimum number of Commonwealth Supported Place are protected for students in psychology training programs, and

Shift the banding for psychology training to be equivalent with General Practice, Medical Studies, Agriculture and Veterinary Science in Funding Cluster 4.

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