St John Victoria Opens Recruitment Drive to APC Students and Graduates

Published 20th June, 2024

A household name, St John Ambulance has been a trusted presence in Victoria for over 140 years, serving communities in times of sickness, distress, suffering, and danger..

Through Australian Paramedical College’s (APC) Industry Partnership with St John Victoria, APC students receive exclusive opportunities for clinical placements alongside experienced Patient Transport teams. These opportunities can even lead to real employment outcomes for our students depending on availability and suitability. 

Discover how choosing APC as your education provider can give you a head start in becoming a Patient Transport Officer (PTO) or Ambulance Transport Attendant (ATA) with St John Victoria.

What is our Industry Partnership?

APC is proud to partner with like-minded organisations and businesses to provide students with educational, placement and/or employment benefits. Currently collaborating with 20+ organisations in Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand-wide, 500+ APC students have chosen to conduct their clinical placement via our Industry Partners, taking their careers to the next level.

As a leader in their services, APC was eager to reach out to St John Victoria to join forces and form a strong collaboration to help better opportunities for our students and have the chance to make an even greater impact on Victorian communities. Upon the news being released to students, applications flooded in, with students sharing, 

I’ve had a the best time with St John through my placement. Great crew I have at our branch – Honni W

I volunteer with SJA Vic so it makes it that much more fun for me personally – Amy O

I had my first shift last Friday with them. Great experience and exposure to a variety of patients and presentations so far – Greg H

The appreciation for this partnership doesn’t just stop at our students. In feedback from St John Victoria employees, many share how impactful having APC students on shift is, advising, 

Was great on shift today, very helpful and knowledgeable, keen to get involved. Will make a great ATA

Is great to work with and great with patients. She gives everything a go and is able to adapt easily to her environment. Anyone that hires her will not be disappointed

Was very happy to learn and was so helpful during our shift. He’ll make a wonderful ATA

How are APC students given the advantage?

As you may have already read, St John Victoria welcomes APC students on shift warmly. This partnership, which includes providing APC with monthly feedback on student performance, benefits not only APC students in completing their placements and St John Victoria in their hiring efforts but also APC in enhancing the training of our courses.

As Australia’s leading training provider for emergency and non-emergency healthcare, we are committed to staying at the forefront of industry changes and developments. In an ever-evolving healthcare industry, we recognise that there is no better source of direct insights on preparing Australia’s next generation of healthcare professionals than those who provide life-saving care daily. APC’s education team is proud to collaborate with St John Victoria’s clinical teams to maximise student potential and continuously improve our courses.

Alongside quality training, APC students complete their placements with St John Victoria, receiving direct supervision for 40, 80, 120, or 160 hours of clinical experience. This allows feedback to be communicated to management during recruitment drives, giving students an advantage in their applications, especially since they have already worked within the team.

Thanks to this Industry Partnership, many APC students have become employees of St John Ambulance Victoria, and they’re now looking for more!

How to apply for St John Ambulance Victoria’s recruitment drive

St John Victoria is looking for a combination of Patient Transport Officers (PTOs) and Ambulance Transport Attendants (ATAs) to join their Patient Transport team. The current focus for this drive is directed towards Geelong and Ballarat areas, but they also welcome Melbourne-based individuals to apply. 

Students who are nearing completion or recently graduated from any of APC’s HLT51020 – Diploma of Emergency Health Care, HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care or HLT31120 – Certificate IV in Health Care are invited to apply for a fixed bag of full-time and casual positions. Successful applicants can expect to work on a rotating roster ranging from 8 to 10 hours and be available approximately 3 to 4 days a week. 

Holding contracts with a significant number of hospitals across Victoria and Ambulance Victoria, employees can expect to complete a combination of appointment transportation, responding to triple zero (000) calls, and taking patients to the emergency department when life-threatening injuries or illnesses are not present.

If this ticks all of your boxes, make sure to apply before the 30th of June, 2024. Send your resume, cover letter and qualifications to [email protected].

For APC applicants who are near graduation but do not yet hold their qualification, we recommend you contact APC’s Student Success Team via [email protected] requesting a ‘Letter of Competency’ to support your nearing completion. 

Not yet qualified, but want to start the process?

If you’re not a student of APC but want to take advantage of our Industry Partnership with St John Victoria, click the link below to start your application

Alternatively, if you need help deciding which course (or career) is right, we’re here to assist! Create and download your FREE Career Development Plan by answering a few questions here.

What is your career journey?

To discover how you can become a fully qualified Ambulance Paramedic or Basic/Advanced Life Support Medic, complete a personalised paramedical career development plan.