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Turrbal and Jagera Country
Level 4, 348 Edward Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
Health Workforce Connector
In 2024, Gladstone became the focus of a key development in regional health workforce strategy with the introduction of the Health Workforce Connector (HWC) role. First created by Health Workforce Queensland (HWQ) as part of the GROW Rural program, the HWC works with rural practices, health services, and communities to create structured pathways guiding health students into rural employment as early career graduates.
Its adaptation to address workforce shortages in Gladstone shows how the HWC model can be tailored to meet both rural and regional needs. Hosted by Gladstone Regional Council and guided by the Gladstone Health Workforce Collaborative (GHWC), locally embedded HWC Rosie Barton has served as both a bridge, connecting education, employment, and community, and a gateway to new opportunities for students, graduates, and health professionals.
This place-based model is enabling Gladstone to build its own sustainable, responsive health workforce pipeline, aligned with regional strengths and needs.
Over the past year, Rosie has made strong progress in strengthening local workforce capacity. By building trusted relationships with health providers, universities, and schools, she is supporting the journey from student placement to professional integration. Her work has enhanced clinical supervision, enabled meaningful work experiences, and coordinated professional development that builds capability across the sector.
Rosie has also raised Gladstone’s profile by representing the region at major health careers expos, forums, and interagency collaborations, helping position it as a destination for health careers.
The HWC role is already making an impact across key strategic areas, boosting attraction and retention, improving education-to-employment pathways, and supporting targeted recruitment to fill local service gaps.
Looking ahead, Rosie will expand her reach through new initiatives, including student-led multidisciplinary clinics, health workforce accommodation solutions, and longitudinal tracking of student outcomes. These will be backed by marketing campaigns promoting Gladstone as a vibrant place to build a health career.
The HWC is not just solving today’s problems, it’s building bridges to tomorrow’s workforce solutions. By opening doors to education, employment, and community, the role is helping Gladstone grow its own pipeline of skilled, socially connected health professionals.
In March 2025, Rosie launched the first Gladstone Health Workforce Collaborative Newsletter, linked below. Published quarterly, it features news, upcoming events, health professional profiles, student placement reviews, and more.
You’ll also find links below to two health student placement profiles from the region.
