He made the move to Warrnambool in late July and has hit the ground running.

"It's a lot different to student placements where you're babied - it's a bit more responsibility," Mr Catterall said.

"You're expected to take charge but with a competent instructor behind me."

He said the first 12 months of the role was spent working alongside a clinical instructor as a mentor - working with his current one for two months.

"She's a really good mentor because she sits back and lets me do my thing but then fills in any gaps," Mr Catterall said.

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Working as a paramedic isn't something he always wanted to pursue.

"I got a job at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne as a ward clerk doing office administration," Mr Catterall said.

"It opened my eyes to the healthcare world - before that it never really occurred to me.

"I was working at Coles and a cinema at the time and wanted to do something a bit more substantial."

He previously wanted to pursue a career in marketing, history or writing.

Mr Catterall studied a Bachelor of Paramedicine at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.

Making the move from Melbourne for the role, this is his first experience living in a regional area.

"Moving three hours from home was a big jump but it's a nice place," Mr Catterall said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Warrnambool - especially checking out the cinema, going fishing at the Hopkins River and I want to get down to the beach when the weather gets nicer."

AV Barwon South West regional director Terry Marshall said it was working hard to relieve pressure in the system with more paramedics on the road.

He said 700 paramedics were recruited in 2021 with a further 404 paramedics recruited so far this year, including 26 in the Barwon South West region.

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