Equipping home care sector with workforce of the future

It’s hoped the launch of a new home care traineeship program will help ease the workforce shortage.

Developed by non-profit organisation SSI in partnership with Apprenticeship Careers Australia, the Home Care Traineeship will equip workers with the skills they need to work in home care – a sector that is desperately short of staff.

“We are looking to not only attract new talent, but to set them up for success by teaching them the skills they need to deliver safe and quality care to Australian seniors,” said head of SSI’s home care workforce support program Iggy Pintado.

“The traineeship builds on our efforts to increase workforce retention by giving participants the option to continue to learn and grow into different areas within home care.”

The traineeship program is designed for people looking to start a career in home care but who have little or no industry experience.

It provides both full and part-time positions, hands-on practical learning and gives participants the opportunity to train with a home care provider. Trainees get paid while undertaking a nationally recognised qualification.

Mr Pintado said home care is more than a job – it’s a career. “As any career, it requires training and ongoing upskilling to provide workers with development and growth opportunities. Through our partnership with ACA, we are  bringing a home care traineeship that offers a pathway to build a long-term career backed with continuing expert support.”

There are a variety of courses available. The pre-employment courses consist of two-to-three weeks of accredited and non-accredited preparatory training on subjects including:

• first aid
• infection control
• safe work practices
• dementia awareness.

There is also training available to obtain Certificate III qualifications.

“Apprenticeship Careers Australia has a successful track record of designing and implementing innovative approaches to sourcing and developing talent in challenging labour markets,” said ACA’s manager of strategic projects Brett Clarke. “We look forward to working with SSI over the next 18 months and beyond to deliver skilled and qualified talent to the home care sector.”

The partnership is the latest initiative in delivering the Home Care Workforce Support Program. Launched in April last year and funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, the HCWSP hopes to grow the home care workforce by 13,000 by mid-2024.

SSI was one of six organisations appointed by the federal government to deliver the HCWSP across the country.

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