The Allied Health Rural Graduate Program (AHRGP), launched in 2023, aims to improve recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in Western NSW Local Health District. This structured two-year initiative provides recent graduates with support, education, and networking as they transition to the workforce. The program has shown success, with an 80% retention rate in its first year, and expansion to 50 graduates across eight allied health disciplines in 2024. In 2025, the program is moving AHEAD as the Allied Health Early Accelerated Development (AHEAD) Program, an embedded model supporting early career allied health professionals as ‘learners to leaders’ and strengthening the District’s allied health workforce.