Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine welcomed at Victoria University's Sunshine Campus

Victoria University (VU) today formally welcomed the announcement of a new $10 million Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine at its Sunshine Campus as part of a Victorian Government boost to healthcare investments for Melbourne’s West.

The future Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine was announced today alongside today’s opening of a new Operational Capability Hub – also on VU’s Sunshine Campus – a joint venture of Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the State Government that will deliver the best possible training for paramedics in Victoria.

The Hub will allow paramedics at all levels to develop their skills at a dedicated training centre that will operate seven-days-a-week. It contains state-of-the-art virtual reality technology as a training and simulation tool, along with purpose-built spaces designed specifically for paramedics.

With more than 1300 paramedics recruited to Ambulance Victoria over the past two years, the Hub and the Centre for Excellence will together help support the current and future generations of paramedics to respond to an ever-increasing demand for emergency healthcare services across Victoria.

Minister for Ambulance Services, The Hon. Gabrielle Williams, and Chief Executive of Ambulance Victoria, Ms Jane Miller, joined VU Vice-Chancellor Adam Shoemaker and VU paramedic students and graduates to welcome the initiatives.  

The State of Victoria, Ambulance Victoria and Victoria University all share a name, a vision and a commitment: to create Australia’s first Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine at a time when it is needed most, said Professor Shoemaker. 

VU students will study alongside working professionals

VU graduates 800 Bachelor of Paramedicine paramedics a year on average. They will benefit by having Ambulance Victoria on campus as the newest partner to join VU’s “flipped campus” approach to teaching and learning. This approach aims to bring key industry partners directly onto VU campuses to collaborate with students, staff and researchers.  

Through the new Hub, VU paramedic students can connect directly with Ambulance Victoria’s highly experienced workforce, which provides emergency medical response to more than 5.8 million people in an area of more than 227,000 square kilometres in Melbourne’s West.

Professor Shoemaker said VU graduates have a long and proud history of providing a wide range of invaluable healthcare services to the region – including nursing, aged care and midwifery – and a decade-long collaboration with Ambulance Victoria.

“The opening of the Ambulance Victoria Operational Capability Hub – along with the future Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine – are two crucial events for VU. Our paramedicine students will have the unique advantage of studying and learning alongside top professionals in the field, and of being at the cutting edge in emergency care every day of the week.” 

Victoria University provides one of Australasia’s largest undergraduate programs in paramedicine, and as one of the few dual-sector universities in the country, offers entry-level diploma pathway programs in paramedicine and non-emergency transport via VU’s TAFE division, VU Polytechnic.