Students studying to become health professionals are increasingly struggling with the demands of unpaid placements as inflation rises.
She said she received $364 a week in Centrelink payments and tried to work in a pub on a weekend while still finding time to study."I usually pay my rent with Centrelink and Zip Pay for every other bill, food, everyday expenses," she said."I love the fact that we are helping the crisis in the healthcare system, but it's sending me to the point of poverty trying to be able to afford all this.
"There are costs associated with going on placement like petrol, parking, and meals," Ms Clough said. "And the rest of our lives don't stop either. We still have day care, rent, utility bills, and groceries to pay for too.", but it did not include students such as Ms Clough who were already enrolled.Ms Clough said she received parenting payments and rent assistance, which meant she was not eligible for support as a student, and was paid a base salary of $26 an hour for the work she did at her local hospital as a registered undergraduate.
Under the Fair Work Act, students completing vocational placements are not considered employees and therefore are not entitled to receive a minimum wage or any other entitlements.
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