Improving Workforce Skills: Building a Clinical Trial Talent Pipeline

The MTPConnect podcast team – Caroline Duell and Dr Dan Grant – explore how MTPConnect’s REDI initiative is supporting the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) to extend the pilot of its successful SKILLED clinical trial internships program.  The VCCC’s Executive Director Professor Grant McArthur and the Head, Education and Training Development Michelle Barrett join us to discuss how SKILLED internships provide a pathway for scientists to build role-specific clinical trial knowledge, experience and skills in a clinical trials unit through theoretical and on-the-job training. The pace of cancer research is driving up the demand for highly skilled Clinical Trial Assistants & Study Co-ords, creating employment and career opportunities.  The internships run for 40 weeks with VCCC alliance partners and collaborators in metro and regional locations across Victoria in a model that has attracted international interest. The SKILLED Internship Program has continued to operate in the COVID-19 environment, and pivoting to teletrials is providing interns with new skills. Developing a highly trained cancer care workforce is critical to meet the field's future demands as we advance cancer research and patient care.