DEEP DIVE: How can we end placement poverty? episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 13, 2026 · 12 MIN

DEEP DIVE: How can we end placement poverty?

from Hack · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Juggling study and work can be a struggle at the best of times.But some uni students are also required to complete thousands of unpaid hours for placement, and many say 'placement poverty' is causing severe financial and psychological distress. Now, a group of students and politicians are calling for the government to expand its paid placement scheme. Last year, the government started paying students in nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work degrees a small wage during their mandatory placement. But students in medicine, speech pathology, dentistry, pharmacy, OT and other courses are not included. In this episode, we hear what it's like struggling to get by while on placement and unpack a new proposal to expand the scheme.Guests: Seniru Mudannayake, president, Australian Medical Students' Association Get the whole story from hack:Follow us on Instagram and TikTokSubscribe to the hack podcastListen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 13, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

DEEP DIVE: How can we end placement poverty?

0:00 12:00

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Hack?

This episode is 12 minutes long.

When was this Hack episode published?

This episode was published on February 13, 2026.

Can I download this Hack episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!