02 April 2019

It’s the biggest employer in the Whanganui region – and it’s looking for local recruits.

Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) held its annual careers day at Whanganui Hospital on Friday 29 March, with more than 60 secondary school students getting a look at life in the health sector.

When people think of jobs in health, it’s usually doctors and nurses, but the DHB offers a broad sweep of career opportunities.

Now in its sixth year, the careers day delivered insights into business management, information technology, administration, social work, occupational therapy, and dental and dietary services, as well as medical spheres such as Maori Health, mental health and critical care.

Year 11 and 12 students from Collegiate, Whanganui High School, Whanganui Girls College, Ruapehu College, Cullinane College, Te Kura Correspondence School and U-Skills enjoyed 15-minute rotations around various displays and information sessions.

WDHB chair Dot McKinnon commented: “Our DHB provides the highest employment in our district, yet we need more staff – medical, technical, carers, Maori and Pacific Islanders.”

She said people should encourage their children to look at “the huge number of opportunities that an occupation in health can provide”.