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The right prescription for careers in pharmacy
Links forged by Regional Industry Career Adviser Sean Cameron between secondary schools and a pharmacy business based at Ballarat in Victoria are opening eyes to careers in the community pharmacy and related industries.
UFS Dispensaries is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation that runs 11 pharmacies in Western Victoria. Over eight weeks, UFS runs an Adopt a School program aimed at giving higher-achieving students industry knowledge, career advice and work experience.
In its prototype program, 28 students from 14 schools learned about many aspects of the community pharmacy industry, ranging from prescription procedures and product training to wound care and customer service.
Students went to UFS’s premises in Ballarat for three hours a week, so keen that they attended after school, between 4 and 7 pm. A one-week, full-time work placement rounded out the experience.
Joint approach brings benefits
‘The program has been a success because it’s run by industry in industry with coordinated promotion and support from all stakeholders—UFS, the Regional Industry Career Adviser, the Local Community Partnership, the local learning and employment network, and, of course, the 14 schools,’ Sean says.
‘Training is delivered by industry specialists, and the program is book-ended by a parent information night and a graduation night.’
The program has benefits for students at a number of levels. For example, UFS Dispensaries has already employed five students in their pharmacies, and for university-bound students, the program adds substance to the interview they must now undergo to gain a tertiary place.
UFS Dispensaries has become a champion of the Adopt a School program, and Sean and the Local Community Partnership have had success in promoting their model as best practice to other industry sectors.
For example, engineering industry groups and businesses are now providing students with the 8-week/1-week blocks of experience. And Sean is confident of progress with the local horticulture, information technology and bricklaying industries.
Contact
Sean Cameron
Ph: 03 5331 7688