Linking public health education and practice: the Australian experience

The public health workforce in Australia is highly skilled, multifunctional, and drawn from a variety of backgrounds, including clinical practice and non-health areas. A wide range of activities is needed to meet the educational and training requirements of this workforce, including on the job inservice training, context specific continuing education programs and short courses, distance and self-directed learning packages, and postgraduate University level courses. The core components of public health today include: a social and political commitment to health, a shared responsibility between government and the public, and a multidisciplinary field of action. The challenge for those providing education and training for the public health workforce is to ensure graduates have the broad range of knowledge and skills needed in this climate. A system-wide approach to learning, where knowledge and skill development is related to the practices and settings of service and program delivery, will ensure strong links between education and practice.