Healthcare: empowering lives, every day

Choosing a career in healthcare means making a real difference to the lives of others. Healthcare professionals are highly valued in our communities. We look to them when we are unwell or injured and rely on them to help get us back to good health and wellbeing.

More than most other careers, a career in healthcare gives you almost unlimited opportunities. The sector is also one of Tasmania’s and Australia’s largest, offering exciting career opportunities for those with a passion for healthcare. By pursuing a qualification in healthcare, you’ll gain valuable skills to pave the way for a fulfilling and rewarding career journey.

Discover the large variety of careers in healthcare

Working in healthcare is more than just a job. Instead, it gives you the chance to help people, and to make a real difference in their lives. You can choose from a wide range of occupations across many different settings. Depending on your area of interest, you could choose a health professional career through university training. There is also a wide range of healthcare worker roles with on-the-job or vocational training.

University

Doctors (such as GPs, Surgeons)
Nurses and Midwives
Paramedics
Dentists

University

Allied health professionals such as:
Audiologists, Cardiac Physiologists, Dietitians, Occupational Therapists, Optometry, Oral Health Therapists, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Radiographers, Sonographers, Speech Pathologists and Social Workers … and more!

Vocational Training

Allied Health Assistants
Nursing support and Personal Care Workers
Aged and Disabled Carers
Home Health Aide

A career in healthcare gives you endless possibilities

As a health professional or healthcare worker you can make a real difference in people’s lives and take your career in many different directions. You will enjoy the flexibility of working in different locations and varied settings.

Working to improve the health and wellbeing of people at every stage of life creates endless opportunities for where you can choose to work. New technologies and different ways of helping people creates more jobs to pick from.

Health and social assistance workers can work in many different settings such as: hospitals, schools, medical centres, pharmacies, private practice, aged care facilities, childcare centres, disability services, mental health services, community health centres, medical imaging centres, laboratories and peoples’ homes.

Some qualifications also give you the freedom to move between different types of work. You can help patients directly, do research, teach others and be in leadership roles. You can also lead community health initiatives, disease prevention and health education programs.

In addition to doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists and paramedics, the Tasmanian Government employs a wide variety of allied health professionals. Allied Health is a collective term for a diverse range of highly skilled health professionals that enjoy varied, flexible and exciting career pathways. They are in high demand and there are numerous allied health professions to choose from in Tasmania!

Aboriginal and TSI Health Practitioner

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are registered healthcare practitioners who provide clinical services and patient care with a focus on culturally safe practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Diagnostic Radiography

Diagnostic Radiographers operate X-rays and other medical imaging equipment to produce images for medical diagnostic purposes

Dietetics

Dieticians are professionals who apply the science of food and nutrition to promote health, prevent and treat disease to optimise the health of individuals, groups, communities and populations.

Medical Science

Medical scientists perform medical laboratory tests on blood, other body fluids and tissues to assist clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists work with individuals, groups and communities to achieve optimal health and wellbeing through participation in the occupations of life

Oral Health Therapy

Oral Health Therapists are healthcare practitioners with qualifications as a dental therapist and dental hygienist. They work with dentists to provide oral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and preventive services.

Pharmacy

Pharmacists dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals to the public, educate customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines, and sell non-prescription medicines and related goods in a community pharmacy

Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist is a healthcare professional that assesses, diagnoses, treats and works to prevent disease and disability through movement and exercise. Physiotherapists are experts in body movement and function

Podiatry

Podiatrists are doctors who treat conditions affecting the foot, ankle and lower limbs — including injuries, pain and balance issues

Psychology

Psychologists provide assessment and therapy to clients, help facilitate organisational or social change, conduct psychological research, or administer psychological tests to individuals or groups

Social Work

Social workers support people to make change in their lives to improve their personal and social well-being

Speech Pathology

Speech pathologists study, diagnose and treat people who have difficulty speaking, listening, understanding language, reading, writing, social skills, stuttering, swallowing and using their voice

Remember, allied health professionals rely on a crucial support from healthcare workers such as allied health assistants, pharmacy technicians and pathology technicians. These important support roles work closely with allied health professionals to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of their patients.

It’s never too early to start exploring your options. Learn more about working at the Department of Health and Department for Education, Children and Young People.

Careers in the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP)

The Department employs school social workers, school psychologists, speech and language pathologists and school health nurses. These allied health professionals and nurses work in DECYP schools and Child and Family Learning Centres. They support student health, wellbeing and development and improve health and educational outcomes for children and young people.

The Department also employs child safety officers who work in child safety services and child safety and wellbeing workers, who work as part of Strong Families Safe Kids. The make a real difference – helping children and young people to be safe and well. Learn more about the various professional student support and child safety services careers at DECYP.

Be in demand. Pursue healthcare skills

The demand for healthcare is growing, ensuring strong job security and opportunities for rewarding careers with loads of potential for progression and promotion. In Tasmania, the aging population and rising incidence of chronic disease are factors behind the current and growing demand for people with healthcare skills.

Let’s look at the health-related factors pushing up the demand for healthcare in Tasmania;

The impact of these factors mean the need for healthcare services will consistently increase, guaranteeing excellent job opportunities well into the future.

The healthcare sector in Australia is already one of the largest. In Australia, there are over 2,000,000 workers employed in a range of healthcare professions. That’s close to four times the total population of Tasmania (think about that for a moment – that’s huge!).

In Tasmania, more people work in healthcare and social assistance than any other industry. In 2023, 49,500 people worked in this sector. Better still, 10.2% were between 15 – 24 years of age. That’s around 5,000 young adults working in healthcare in Tasmania.

Healthcare services in Tasmania are projected to increase over the next 20 years

Hospital visits are expected to increase by 30% between 2020-2021 and 2041- 2042

Choose from a broad range of healthcare education and training pathways

There’s almost as many education and training pathways in healthcare as there are career options. From short, practical vocational education and training (VET) to university degrees to become a health professional, and everything in-between including TAFE and private colleges. Often there’s the option of part-time or full-time study, plus flexible work and study arrangements. This means you can earn an income while you study.

In Tasmania, you can gain qualifications in a range of allied health professions, medicine, nursing, midwifery and paramedicine at the University of Tasmania (UTAS). UTAS also has additional study pathways in partnership with other universities. Studying at interstate universities and interstate VET providers opens an even larger range of health professional careers to choose from, particularly in allied health. Don’t forget on the job training is also possible for the allied health support workforce in Tasmanian public hospitals and community services. Interstate vocational pathways to obtain a certificate III or IV are also available to boost your allied health assistant career

Tas TAFE provides training for aged and disability support workers, dental assistants and enrolled nurses.

Make a real impact on people’s lives

Whether you’re passionate about nursing, medicine, or allied health, our island needs your dedication. Make a difference in the lives of fellow Tasmanians. From the cities to rural and coastal towns, you’ll find a community that values your skills.

Remember, Tasmania provides extraordinary opportunities for healthcare professionals. Take the first step and explore the diverse career paths available!