12528 (2024). Ricardo Menéndez March to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills

12528 (2024). Ricardo Menéndez March to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills: What action, if any, will the Government take to close the gap in completion rates between nursing and social work training programmes with unpaid placements and the policing training programme with paid placements?

Hon Penny Simmonds: The police training programme and nursing and social work programmes are not comparable. The police training programme is a 20-week residential programme with limited and competitive entry. On successful completion, police graduates receive a Level 4 Certificate. Nursing and social work programmes are largely open-entry three-year and four-year programmes (respectively) leading to a Level 7 Degree. The Government expects providers of tertiary education programmes to make ongoing efforts to improve their completion rates in all programmes. In many professional education areas, the regulatory bodies (including those for nursing and social work) play a significant role in determining whether students are paid while studying. Payment during placements is a matter for discussion between regulators, tertiary education providers, and employers. The Government supports tertiary students to meet their living expenses through student support, including student loans and allowances.