Victorian paramedic student says she feels exploited following ambulance job ‘freeze’

An infuriated paramedic student says she feels exploited following an ‘indefinite freeze’ on ambulance jobs in Victoria.

Milly, 23, is on the verge of finishing her paramedic course but told Neil Mitchell she could not find employment.

And she’s not alone.

‘It’s awful,’ she said on 3AW Mornings.

‘I feel like I’ve wasted six years of my life studying.

‘All I want to do is get a job? but I can’t.’

Milly said students had recently received an email, without warning, telling them there had been a ‘pause’ on recruitment.

She said she didn’t know anybody from her course that had successfully applied for a job.

Milly, who is now exploring other career options, said she felt like she’d been taken advantage of.

‘It’s infuriating, really,’ she said.

‘There’s been no discourse between the universities and between the single employer of paramedics in Victoria ? Ambulance Victoria.

‘There’s no communication, there’s no conversation.

‘Since the decentralisation of the university system? it’s (become) a business.

‘They’re making what? $20,000 from each student, times 700.

‘What’s that? $14 million a year on churning out these students that are lured by the excitement and desire to help other people, yet we’re sort of taken for a ride.’

LISTEN: Milly explains her story on 3AW Mornings