Becoming a teacher, nurse, midwife, or social worker is an expensive and time-consuming path. New research from the University of Canterbury shows how long degrees and unpaid placements create financial barriers for students in these professions, most of whom are women.

These jobs require three to four years of full-time study. Students must pay tuition fees while also working for free on required placements. The cost is steep. A midwifery student, for example, pays more than NZ$38,000 in fees and completes over a year of unpaid full-time work before qualifying.

Financial strain

Although graduates earn good salaries, they face years of financial strain. When considering tuition costs, lost wages, and unpaid placements, a newly qualified nurse takes over eight years to earn more than someone who worked a minimum-wage job over the same period. A social worker takes 12 years. Midwives take the longest—28 years—before their total earnings surpass those of a police officer, who is paid during training and starts working much sooner.

Not surprisingly, dropout rates are high. Around 40% of social work students and 37% of midwifery students leave before finishing. By contrast, fewer than 2% of police and firefighter recruits drop out, as they receive salaries while training. In New Zealand, police recruits are paid during their 20-week training course, with subsidized housing. Firefighter trainees attend a 12-week program where meals and accommodation are covered.

This financial burden is one reason for workforce shortages in healthcare and education. A parliamentary committee is now considering whether students should be paid for placement work, which could ease financial pressure and help keep more students in these fields.

For those who complete the training, the long-term benefits are clear. But for many, the short-term hardship may not be worth it.