Authors: Andrea Reupert, Melissa Davis, Sandra Stewart and Heather Bridgman
Monash University
Curtin University
University of Tasmania

Edition: Volume 58, Number 2, July 2018

Introduction: In Australia, the limited number of psychology postgraduate places, coupled with a high demand for mental health and psychological services underscores the need for new, innovative models of psychology training. The objectives of this paper are to describe the 5 + 1 internship pathway; why it was developed; the pedagogy employed and to stimulate debate regarding training models for Australia’s future psychology workforce. Information outlined in this paper is drawn from the public domain and our collective experiences as fifth year coordinators and/or stakeholders in developing Australia’s psychology workforce. The content of the fifth year program is applied and practical. Content is generalist as opposed to specialist, while pedagogical approaches employed are predominately experiential. The fifth year program lends itself to integration with other training models. Perceptions that the training is inferior to specialist programs need to be challenged. Online offerings are a priority to ensure training is available for students in rural and remote areas or seeking flexible modes of delivery.

Keywords: psychology training, graduate, employability, rural workforce

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 58:2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.