Earlier this year, the Australian Government awarded $32 million to MTPConnect for the Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative, through the Medical Research Future Fund.
To deliver the REDI program MTPConnect has partnered with research, training and industry organisations, including the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) to implement an integrated plan driving skills development and workforce training to enhance the medical technologies and pharmaceutical industry.
MTPConnect Managing Director and CEO, Dr Dan Grant said, “Now more than ever we need to focus on securing jobs in our sector and make sure we are supporting the development of our future workforce. Our REDI partners are best placed to help us deliver this integrated program and we are excited to see the power of this collaboration unfold.”
The VCCC will coordinate the REDI program’s clinical trials talent pipeline, creating internship opportunities for students from scientific disciplines and providing training for roles of high demand.
“VCCC clinical partners and collaborators, as well as our education connections, are well placed to develop career pathways for students to access on-the-job training and build role-specific experience and skills in a rapidly advancing sector,” says VCCC Executive Director, Professor Grant McArthur.
“Our pilot interns have done extremely well, with 100 per cent employed full-time in the sector on completion of the program. We will capitalise on these learnings and extend delivery of the internships, increasing the number of places available, in addition to clinical sites and tertiary partners involved.”
From Ballarat Health Services and Barwon Health, to St Vincent’s Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital, the first cohort of interns have gained positions in regional and metro clinical trial units and healthcare services.
Knarik Tamanyan completed a PhD in breathing disorders at Monash University before moving to Albury Wodonga to join the Border Medical Oncology Research Unit (BMORU) clinical trials team. “I really enjoyed my time working in a regional centre, I think the exposure to all kinds of challenges has really helped me to grow,” she said.
Knarik has now accepted a position with the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trial Unit.
Applications for the SKILLED 2021 Internship Program - PhD Study Coordinators are open until 14 October 2020.
Learn more about the program from previous participants.
Image: SKILLED interns pictured in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre building in 2019.
