The first training courses and internship placements, aimed to boost medtech skills capability in Victoria, have commenced at Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) Academy.
The courses are being developed by the Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub – a consortium led by the University of Melbourne and including the ACMD, Swinburne University of Technology, and RMIT University.
The Hub will eventually be housed in the new ACMD building under construction at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
The ACMD Academy and ACMD Navigator programs form part of the Hub’s offerings. The ACMD Navigator serves as a face-to-face and online ‘front door’ to connect individuals and businesses with the Medtech industry to foster innovation and growth of the Medtech ecosystem. The ACMD Academy is providing targeted educational offerings and internships to help develop future-ready talent for the medtech industry.
Together, they address skills gaps restricting medtech sector growth and will help both emerging and larger companies navigate the various challenges in commercial development.
Pictured above (L to R): Professor Andrea O’Connor, Hub Co-Director and ACMD Shanahan Chair in Frontier Medical Solutions and ACMD CEO, Dr Erol Harvey.
“Australia has an international reputation for high-quality medical device manufacture that is reliant on a highly skilled workforce. This new education hub addresses a shortage of workers who have an understanding of quality management systems used to make products that conform to the highest standards required by international regulators.” said Dr Erol Harvey, CEO of the ACMD.
Within the next four years, the ACMD Academy consortium partners will offer up to 1000 industry-aligned medtech education and training places per year. Training courses under development cover vital functions including manufacturing, commercialisation, and regulatory requirements for medtech products. The ACMD Academy will also offer student internships with industry, providing valuable work-integrated learning opportunities for future professionals.
Professor Andrea O’Connor, Co-Director of the Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub, and ACMD Shanahan Chair in Frontier Medical Solutions, said developing training courses in collaboration with industry was essential in helping to build “a pipeline of work-ready employees in Victoria for Victorian businesses”.
It is expected that by its fifth year of operation, the Hub will be supporting the creation of up to a dozen investment-ready Victorian start-ups a year.
The Hub will train students at various levels, from vocational (VET) to postgraduate (PhD), and is available for people at all stages of their career including school leavers to up-skilling and re-skilling experienced workers.
“The training and courses the Hub will provide perfectly complement and support the research and activities that are being undertaken by the ACMD and our partners,” said Dr Harvey.
Practical training will soon be delivered through the ACMD FabHub facility, which is currently being developed. It, too, will be located within the new ACMD building and will enable training under conditions that resemble regulated working manufacturing environments.
“Having a training hub for manufacturing makes sure that innovative products can be made to the highest international standards required for export sales,” said Dr Harvey.
“Without access to a trained and experienced pool of workers. Businesses must embark on the training themselves. This increases the cost and time required to bring new products to the market, which is particularly difficult for young start-up companies.”
