Milestone for course designed to improve Indigenous health outcomes

The Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion, a unique program celebrating 25 years of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, focuses on improving Indigenous health and wellbeing through health promotion.

Grounded in the principle of self-determination, this one-year full-time program builds on students' existing qualifications, experience, and cultural knowledge, preparing them to work in various communities across Australia, from urban to remote regions.

Taught by a dedicated team of Indigenous academics and public health experts, the program ensures culturally relevant teaching that reflects the lived experiences of the students and their communities.

Graduates gain essential skills to identify public health issues that may not be addressed by mainstream services and learn to develop and implement culturally appropriate strategies to tackle these challenges.

The program also equips them for leadership roles in public health, enabling them to contribute to policy and practice in both mainstream and community settings.

Developed to fill a specific need, the program addresses the lack of accessible tertiary qualifications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, who often have valuable community experience but limited opportunities for career progression.

Graduates not only step into more senior roles but also return to their communities with enhanced skills, confidence, and the ability to apply theory and evidence-based approaches to the important work they have been doing.

Mick Pittman, now-retired former manager of Nunyara Aboriginal Health Unit in the NSW Central Coast Local Health District, is one such graduate.

He completed the program in 1999, aged 48 at the time, with a view to delivering better services in his existing role.

“My focus wasn’t on graduating to better position myself for higher duties, more important roles or remuneration,” Mick says.

“It was to enable me to better serve my community.

“For me, this was success – not financial gain, or the length of time I had left in my working life to progress.

“I saw that the course would benefit me in doing my job, as well as others that might come my way. And I was right.

“The course allowed me to see the big picture, and gave me the ability to work with others, especially prospective clients, to design strategies and tactics to address the many issues involved.

“It gave me the structures and processes to break things down into different projects, stages and areas, and then smaller actions.

“It also gave me confidence and self-esteem. I wasn’t afraid to attack any problem after completing the course. It was invaluable to me.”

Joel Dixon, lecturer in the Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion, highlights that Mick's experiences with the program are similar to those of many other graduates.

“The program provides practical, real-world health promotion skills that can be directly applied within their own communities,” Joel says.

“One of the immediate benefits for graduates is that they leave feeling more confident in their work, with the ability to integrate the knowledge they’ve gained into the critical health initiatives they’re already involved in.”

Rebecca Hyland is another graduate of the program who found it transformative to her career.

As a Senior Projects Manager at Southern Cross University and Co-Chair of the Global Alliance Chronic Disease Indigenous Populations Working Group, Rebecca says she chose this program because “I work at national level and I wanted to explore how national-level projects can be adapted at community level for long-term sustainability.”

Having now completed the program, she describes it as “the best degree I have done”.

“Working with incredible stakeholders in health from across our nation, it’s important for me to always have the community strength and needs at mind, while empowering our future leaders to have a positive impact on health and wellbeing with mob,” Rebecca says.

“Our communities are the experts of their communities, and it’s an honour to learn from our nations, our peoples and language groups.

"To continue learning and expanding my knowledges to work with and share learnings with my people makes me proud.”

Rebecca has recently been awarded a scholarship to continue her studies with a Master of Public Health.

Joel emphasises the unique importance of the program for many students and what sets this program apart.

“What makes it so impactful is that it’s been specifically designed around the needs of our students,” Joel explains.

A clear testament to its success is that over half of the academic staff leading the program are former high-achieving graduates, showing just how deeply the course resonates with those it was created for.

“A university degree is a valued achievement for anyone, but it holds an even deeper significance for our students. Many are the first in their families to attend university, and for them, pursuing a university qualification once seemed out of reach,” Joel says.

“A common theme among our students is the desire to become role models within their communities—showing others that attending university is not only possible but something they can achieve too.

“Through this course, and with 12 months of dedicated support from academics, peers, and others, they gain a clearer perspective and develop the tools and strategies to engage with their communities more effectively, based on what their communities need and value.”