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Family and friends watched on as 12 students graduated from a pilot program offering Goulburn Valley students an insight into the health sector.

Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE and Goulburn Valley Health teamed up in 2010 to provide a two-year dual-certificate in Certificate III Health Services Assistant and Certificate III in Allied Health Assistant for school students in the region.

The program aims to introduce students to the health sector, opening their career options.

GV Health staff development co-ordinator Colleen Wilkinson said the inaugural program was a huge success and would continue next year.

‘‘The program gave them time in the health environment and work experience in speciality areas they wouldn’t normally have access to,’’ Mrs Wilkinson said.

She said graduates were qualified to work as health services assistants or allied health assistants, and most would go on to study health at university or do further training.

Career ambitions among students ranged from midwifery, general nursing, and paramedics.

Wanganui Park Secondary College student and dual-certificate graduate Olivia Kerryns, 18, said when she finished school she would like to be a nurse and the program was a great opportunity to gain an insight into this.

‘‘I learnt a lot about the procedural side of it, but also the people skills. I learnt about the different roles in the hospital, I never knew there were orderlies,’’ Miss Kerryns said.

‘‘I still want to study nursing at Charles Sturt University in Wodonga.’’

Areas of placement in the program included hotel services, biomedical, pathology, orderly, medical imaging, finance, allied health and dental.

‘‘It’s about giving the students exposure and a qualification at the end of it,’’ Mrs Wilkinson said.

‘‘I’d just like to congratulate the graduates and it’s a great thing that the different partners have come together to provide such a thing, there’s nothing else like it.’’

For more information, phone GOTAFE on 1300468233.