New paramedics officially celebrate their graduation

The recent graduates are already helping serve local community branches, including AV branches in Sydenham and Hillside. (Supplied)

Ambulance Victoria (AV) has welcomed another group of graduates to the Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic ranks, at a ceremony alongside family and friends.

The latest graduates are located at AV branches in Sydenham, Hillside, Belgrave, Seymour, Clyde North, Inglewood, Dallas, Morwell, Tarneit, Winchelsea and Point Cook.

The group officially marked their completion of the Graduate Ambulance Paramedic (GAP) program on May 19, at the AV Capability Hub in Sunshine.

GAPs undertake a structured, on-road supervision and learning program for at least 12 months after completing their university degrees, before becoming fully qualified ALS paramedics.

The program helps graduates transition from the classroom to the ‘real world’, integrating into day-to-day team responsibilities and activities.

The new graduates bring a diverse range of life experiences and motivations to their career at AV, with the group including new parents, a former retail worker, an ex-teacher and individuals following in the footsteps of family members.

AV chief executive Jane Miller said the graduation was a big achievement for the new paramedics.

“We congratulate all our newest advanced life support paramedics on completing their time as a graduate ambulance paramedic and are thrilled to celebrate this milestone in their careers,” she said.

“It’s fantastic to hear what motivated each of them to become paramedics, and while these reasons vary, we are all linked by a passion to help and care for our community.’

“This group have already spent significant time on-road making a positive impact to patients across the state, so they understand what an honour it is to provide Best Care to all Victorians, and we’re excited to have them join us in delivering that.”