Monday Lunch Live

8 September 2025 (Video recording below) 

The SKILLED Clinical Trials Internship Program and its impact on workforce development in Victoria

Clinical trials play a crucial role in advancing medical research and improving patient outcomes. However, the clinical trials workforce faces a significant shortage, hindering the state's capacity for high-quality clinical research.

The ‘SKILLED’ Clinical Trials Internship Program, launched in 2019 by the VCCC Alliance in collaboration with Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (PCCTU), aims to develop a talent pipeline for science graduates, and address a gap in the clinical trials workforce. By providing intensive training, supervision, and hands-on experience, the program equips them with the skills necessary to contribute to clinical trials across various settings.

You will hear from the Manager of PCCTU, a consumer, past interns, a regional host site and senior manager of the SKLLED internship program highlighting the benefits of SKILLED, its comprehensive training approach, a consumer lived experience and its success in retaining interns in the Clinical Trial (CT) workforce and the regions.

This panel of presenters will discuss the program from the perspective of:

• building a skilled talent pipeline
• addressing workforce shortages
• improving access to clinical trials, particularly for underserved populations