Rural Health Careers Programme Continues To Inspire Rangatahi In Bay Of Plenty And Gisborne

Hauora Taiwhenua is excited to announce the third lot of trips of its Rural Health Careers Promotion Programme for 2025, with the two groups of volunteers heading to Bay of Plenty and Gisborne from 8th to 12th September.

These visits aim to inspire more rural high school students to pursue careers as GPs, nurses, or other health practitioners as part of Hauora Taiwhenua’s nationwide Rural Health Careers Promotion Programme.

Thanks to the generous support of several committed Primary Health Organisations (PHOs), Hauora Taiwhenua is proud to continue this essential work promoting health careers to rural rangatahi.

“This programme has never been more vital,” says Grant Davidson, Chief Executive of Hauora Taiwhenua. “The rural health workforce crisis continues, and we must do everything possible to grow our own future workforce.”

“If we want thriving rural communities tomorrow, we need to inspire and support our rangatahi today. By planting the seed now, by showing students that a health career is within their reach gives students the chance to see themselves in health careers, we’re not only building their future, we’re safeguarding the future of rural healthcare across Aotearoa.”

Delivered in partnership with the Students of Rural Health Aotearoa (SoRHA) chapter of Hauora Taiwhenua, the programme sees tertiary health students travel to rural schools to share their study journeys and career insights. Through school visits, career expos, practice tours, and noho marae, students are inspired to see a future for themselves in health.

Nicole Cochius, a paramedicine student on the 2024 programme, said, “Our rural communities are the heart of our country, but they are often overlooked compared to larger regions. The kids in these schools deserve the same opportunities to share their hopes and dreams of working in health as anyone else.”

“These students are some of the most passionate. They see the disparities between big cities and small towns when it comes to accessing healthcare, and they want to make a difference. On the school visits, we can encourage them by sharing our own experiences, showing them what’s possible, and empowering them to take those next steps.”

The upcoming September tours will visit a number of rural high schools and kura, creating face-to-face opportunities for students to explore pathways in medicine, nursing, midwifery, allied health, or other health professions.

For more information about the Rural Health Careers Promotion Programme, please contact our Rural Health Careers Coordinator, Emily Murray-Ragg, at emily.murrayragg@htrhn.org.nz

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