My partner, a nursing student, has worked hundreds of hours without compensation or assistance. During her placement weeks, she was unable to earn any income. Despite joining at a time when nurses were critically needed due to the pandemic, she was too late to access a free government place. Her story is not unique; it reflects the experiences of countless students from the class of 2020 onwards who have been left unsupported.

Our government's failure to provide retrospective placement support payments has placed an undue burden on these students. We are calling on our government to rectify this oversight and provide retrospective placement support payments for all qualifying students from the class of 2020 onwards.

This is about fairness, these past and current students are crucial to our nation, and deserve to be adequately compensated for past work in essential services whilst they were learning. These students are now in the workforce or are about to enter the workforce, and have previously dealt with placement poverty and hardship. The placement support payments is a good step forward in assisting people to up-skill for work in essential services, but the people who are already providing essential services  should not be forgotten in the upcoming budget.

Please sign this petition and help us make this change happen!