QNMU members have lobbied for some time for fee-free courses for nurses and midwives to address critical workforce shortages. We are pleased to report that the Queensland Government has listened.

For the duration of 2023, First Nations Queenslanders, people with a disability, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can study a Diploma of Nursing for free, thanks to the Federal and State governments’ skills agreement.

Eligibility criteria will be managed by TAFE Queensland and CQU. 

QNMU members who are not eligible for fee-free TAFE can still receive reduced training fees while studying their Diploma of Nursing at TAFE, thanks to the Queensland Government continuing to subsidise up to $10,000 of course costs.

We know Enrolled Nurses (EN) play a critical role in providing the right skills mix within a health care setting. Many more are needed across our aged care facilities, particularly if we are to reach the desired 30% EN skill mix ratio in aged care.

The aim of the government’s fee-free and subsidised courses is to assist individuals to gain the higher level skills required to secure employment or career advancement in a priority industry (including nursing), or to transition to university to further their studies.

You can read more about the Diploma of Nursing course here.