Our School Based Traineeship Program offers paid, hands-on work experience while you complete a Certificate III qualification and your other schooling.
Starting in Year 11 and through Year 12 you will spend one day per week at one of our facilities. You will work towards a total of 375 hours experience and earn points towards your Queensland Certificate of Education (GCE).
The program can also contribute to your Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) although you do not need to be ATAR eligible to apply. Job opportunities may be available for students after finishing the program.
Applications are currently closed.
Applications will open in September 2026 for the February 2027 intake.
How the program works
There are six traineeship roles to choose from. Read about each role below and decide which interests you most. Each one leads to a nationally recognised Certificate III qualification that can help you get a real job or continue studying in that field.
Applications open in September each year. Successful students will receive offers in November, ready to start in February the following year.
If you're successful, you will be employed by a Group Training Organisation (GTO) who will look after the legal and insurance parts of your traineeship.
Sunshine Coast Health will become your host employer. You will spend one day each week working at one of our facilities instead of in the classroom. This will be the same day (Monday to Friday) each week, so you and your school can plan ahead. We will pair you with a buddy in your role who will show you how to do tasks, give you work to complete, and assess how you're going.
The theory side of your qualification will be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation like TAFE. You will need to be able to balance this with the practical on-the-job training and your other schoolwork. You
Role opportunities
Certificate III Allied Health Assistance
With this qualification you could work as a Clinical Assistant. Clinical Assistants support and assist Allied Health Professionals (including Audiologists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Pharmacists, Social Workers and Speech Pathologists) with their day-to-day patient care and operational tasks including patient health care programming, treatment plans and therapeutic support.
The Allied Health Assistance traineeship is offered at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Nambour General Hospital and Gympie Hospital.
You can find out more about the Allied Health Assistance career pathway at Choose Your Own Health Career.
Certificate III in Dental Assisting
With this qualification you could work as a Dental Assistant. Dental Assistants work as part of a wider dental team, including Dentists and Oral Health Therapists treating children and adults. Dental Assistants help support patients, assist with dental procedures, and keep everyone safe with cleaning of the clinic and equipment.
The Dental Assisting traineeship is offered at Caloundra, Maroochydore and Gympie.
You can find out more about the dental assisting career pathway at Choose Your Own Health Career.
Certificate III Business (Administration Officer)
Administration Officers play a critical role in supporting the daily operations of Sunshine Coast Health. Including welcoming patients, coordinating admissions, managing medical records and scheduling appointments. Their work enables clear communication, seamless coordination, and a supportive experience for patients, staff across departments and wards.
The administration traineeship is offered at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
You can find out more about the administration career pathway at Choose Your Own Health Career.
Certificate III Health Services Assistance
With this qualification you could work as a Medical Imaging Assistant. Medical Imaging Assistants (also known as Health Service Assistants) are involved in patient care, while providing factual, technical and procedural support to health staff. As a trainee in the medical imaging unit at Sunshine Coast Health, you will learn how to operate imaging equipment under the supervision of a health professional, and assist with patient care during imaging procedures.
The Health Services Assistance (Medical Imaging) traineeship is offered at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
You can find out more about the Health Services Assistance career pathway at Choose Your Own Health Career.
Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (Operating Theatre Technician)
With this qualification, you could work as a Theatre Support Officer (also known as Operating Theatre Technicians). Theatre Support Officers are important in making sure the theatre and equipment within the operating theatres at Sunshine Coast Health are clean and in working order. They also provide support throughout the surgical journey, ensuring patient safety during transport of patients between the theatre and wards, including assisting with positioning and moving patients in the operating theatre.
The Health Services Assistance (Theatre Support Officer) traineeship is offered at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
You can find out more about the Theatre Support Officer career pathway at Choose Your Own Health Career.
Certificate III in Hospital or Health Services Pharmacy Support (Pharmacy Assistant)
Age requirement: You must be 16 or older when the traineeship starts in February.
With this qualification you could work as a Pharmacy Assistant. Pharmacy Assistants (also known as Pharmacy Technicians) support hospital pharmacists and help them manage pharmaceutical services and supplies. Their responsibilities can include buying, storing and maintaining medicine supplies and other items in the hospital.
As a trainee, you will learn how to:
- recognise healthy body systems
- pack pharmaceutical products
- dispense prescriptions and medicine orders
- maintain confidentiality, privacy and security in a medical environment
- order, maintain and distribute pharmaceutical stock
- interpret and apply medical terms
- use knowledge to help patients use their medicines effectively.
The Pharmacy Assistant traineeship is offered at Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Gympie.
You can find out more about the Pharmacy Assistant career pathway at Choose Your Own Health Career.
You can find out more about roles and careers in health at the Choose Your Own Health Career website and the Queensland Health Careers website.
How to apply
School Based Traineeships are open to:
- Current Year 10 students (in 2026) who will be in Year 11 in 2027.
- Students who can commit to a two-year traineeship across Year 11 and 12.
- You’ll need to be self-motivated and organised to balance your study, work experience and schoolwork.
- You should be keen to learn with a genuine interest in health and exploring a career in healthcare.
Step 1 – Talk it through
Chat with your parents/guardians, your VET Coordinator and your teachers to make sure a School Based Traineeship is right for you.
Step 2 – Check transport
You’ll need to get yourself to your placement facility one day per week. We will consider the distance between your home and chosen facility when we review your application.
Step 3 – Complete the online form
The application form takes about 1 hour. Set aside some time to do it in one sitting, somewhere quiet.
You’ll need to include:
- Your details and your parent/guardian’s details
- Why you’re interested in the program and a healthcare career
- Skills you’ve gained from part-time work, volunteering, sport or hobbies
Built into the application form is some quick online learning plus a short quiz that you will need to complete.
Applications are currently closed.
Applications will open in September 2026 for the February 2027 intake.
Do you require additional assistance with your application?
If you need assistance with your application please contact your school's representative or email our Diversity and Inclusion team: sc-diversity-inclusion@health.qld.gov.au.
Please do not use artificial intelligence (Chat GPT or similar) to write your responses. Applications must be completed by the student and not a parent / guardian / school representative.
Diversity and inclusion
We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workplace for our people and our community. Find out more about what it's like to work with us.
Print resources
This information is available in pdf format for printing / emailing.
- School Based Traineeship Program poster [PDF 724.99 KB]
- Administration School Based Traineeship Program flyer [PDF 711.97 KB]
- Allied Health Assistance School Based Traineeship Program flyer [PDF 711.97 KB]
- Dental Assisting School Based Traineeship Program flyer [PDF 817.63 KB]
- Health Services Assistance (Medical Imaging) [PDF 893.6 KB]
- Health Services Assistance (Theatre Support Officer) [PDF 842.73 KB]
- Hospital or Health Services Pharmacy Support (Pharmacy Assistant) [PDF 959.13 KB]