VU commits $10m for Australia's first Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine

Victoria University (VU) and the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas, Minister for Health, jointly announced a $20 million investment to establish Australia’s first Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine, to be based at VU’s Sunshine Campus.

In 2022, the Victorian Government pledged $10 million towards the creation of the new Centre that will shape the future of paramedicine in Australia. VU has now matched that investment.

The new Centre, located in a refurbished building on VU's Sunshine Campus, will be close to Ambulance Victoria’s skills-based Capability Hub. Expected to open in 2026, the Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine will offer students modern simulation spaces, along with innovative training and research facilities.

As a dual-sector University providing both Vocational Training and Higher Education – creating a stronger, more cohesive Paramedicine learning alignment – VU is well-placed to train the Paramedics of the future. 

VU Chancellor, The Hon. Steve Bracks AC said: “We are excited to announce our co-investment for Australia’s first Centre of Excellence in Paramedicine, a unique place of learning that will support, encourage and generate a skilled and resilient workforce to meet the needs of our community. 

Victoria University has paved the way for industry partnerships, which has seen a thriving alliance with Ambulance Victoria. Over 300 paramedicine graduates a year already benefit from this model. The new Centre will further turbocharge our joint training, research and real-world emergency simulations – confirming our global reputation as a provider of outstanding health professionals.

The Centre will focus on four specific areas:

• Supporting Paramedics with Post Qualification Training in Occupational Priority Areas providing advanced post qualification training needed to reduce paramedic burn out.
• New Immersive Learning and Simulation Space using digital and environmental technology. This will replicate real-life emergency scenarios, from large scale mass casualty events to treating patients on stairs in their homes. These spaces will be used by both higher and vocational education students across healthcare courses, in addition to Ambulance Victoria and the wider health, emergency and paramedicine industry.
• Meaningful industry partnerships embedded on site with Ambulance Victoria allowing for shared learning and co-designed post qualification training courses and simulation scenarios for a range of health and emergency services.
• Research with impact focused on existing industry operational and occupational challenges faced by emergency and non-emergency services across the country. It will include fields such as leadership, change management, and workforce wellbeing. 

Further background:

• VU established Victoria’s first Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedic) degree conversion for vocationally trained paramedics in 1995.
• VU delivered the first Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedic) pre-employment program in 1999. The program has continued to grow and evolve with over 3,000 paramedic graduates working locally and internationally.
• VU is Victoria’s largest TAFE provider of vocational Certificate and Diploma programs in Paramedical Science and Non-Emergency Patient Transport sector.
• Ambulance Victoria opened their own capability hub at VU’s Sunshine Campus in 2023.