The Albanese Labor Government is launching the first ever Australian government advertising campaign to showcase the diverse and rewarding careers available in primary health care.
 
Primary health care is a term that refers to non-hospital settings like general practice, aged care, mental health services, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and other community health settings.
 
By showcasing the diverse, dynamic and rewarding career opportunities within primary health care, the campaign seeks to:

• attract new talent, including university health students and recent graduates
• inspire current healthcare professionals to consider primary health care pathways
• demonstrate the various pathways into the primary health care industry
• shift public perceptions by highlighting the impact, purpose and career growth opportunities in primary health care.

The campaign highlights allied health roles and promotes GP, nursing, midwifery and remote nursing careers.
 
The campaign website highlights the range of Australian Government programs and incentives available to support people pursuing these careers, alongside case studies of inspiring health professionals – many of whom were finalists or Medicare Champions at the 2024 Stronger Medicare Awards.
 
The new campaign will be delivered via a range of channels including television, social media, digital video and ‘out-of-home’ ads like billboards around TAFEs, universities and hospitals.
 
Information will be translated into Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, Cantonese, Korean, Nepali and Punjabi.
 
A tailored campaign for First Nations people highlights the many rewarding ways primary healthcare professionals make a real difference, on the ground, in their communities.
 
Find out more at Primary health care careers and the ‘Join the team’ – 30 second advertisement
 
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
 
“Considering how critically important primary health care professions are, it seems incredible that we are the first Australian government to run a careers campaign like this.
 
“The campaign will elevate primary health care and raise the profile of GPs, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, First Nations health practitioners and every single health professional.”
 
“This new campaign will highlight the rewards and joys of the many different professions in primary health care, one person and one case at a time.
 
Quotes attributable to Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, President, Dr Michael Wright:
 
“We need to grow our specialist GP workforce faster to meet the increasing need for care across Australia. Our population is growing and ageing and we have an epidemic of chronic illnesses, which requires high-quality specialist GP care. This means we need to train more GPs, and we also need to promote the benefits of general practice as a career to attract future generations of doctors.
 
“Being a GP is one of the most rewarding careers, it offers great flexibility and variety, and the chance to build meaningful connections with your patients and community – we need to get this message out to those making career decisions.”
 
Quotes attributable to Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Federal Secretary, Annie Butler:
 
“We commend the government on its ongoing efforts to build our primary healthcare workforce.”
 
“Primary healthcare plays an integral role in preventing ill-health and promoting public health – that’s why it’s the best model of healthcare for the future. It’s also the most affordable and effective way of keeping people out of hospital. And, as nurses and midwives are the largest group of health practitioners working in primary healthcare, it’s critical that the government expands the role of nurses and midwives in primary healthcare.”
 
“Primary health nurses play a critical role in prevention and screening, chronic disease management and health education in the community. We need to ensure that government funding supports building a better primary healthcare workforce – one that allows nurses and midwives to work to their full scope of practice and maximises their contribution to the health of our community.”
 
Quotes attributable to National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey PSM:
 
“It is important to work closely with communities to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who want to pursue a career in primary health care. For many, it’s not a matter of going straight into university, but it’s about following a pathway in which they may start as an Aboriginal health worker and then go on to studying nursing or medicine.”
 
“The First Nations Health Traineeships, funded by the Labor Government, show what happens when you get in behind Aboriginal communities to recruit much needed staff for their local ACCHOs. Already, we have over 300 trainees in place out of the 500 places available in the program. Many of these trainees will go on to become doctors and nurses.”
 
Quotes attributable to Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, President, Karen Booth:
 
“For the first time, primary healthcare careers are getting the attention they deserve—because keeping people healthy starts long before they reach a hospital.
 
“Australia needs the right primary healthcare nurse, with the right skills, in the right place—because great care starts in the community.”