Rob Breumelhof
Active Member
Speaking at the National Aged Care Alliance meeting in Canberra on Friday, Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner Ms Susan Ryan has requested that the Minister for Immigration consider including ‘aged care worker’ on the skilled occupation list.
Ms Ryan said that many valuable aged care workers came from recent immigrant populations and through “more targeted immigration initiatives” Australia could increase the number of skilled aged care workers.
She also singled out career changers as another important source of potential workers for the sector. “Increasingly, aged care workers also come from other parts of the labour market, from second or third career moves, or people coming from declining sectors – and aged care can be a good option for older workers who are having difficulty finding jobs,” she said.
Ms Ryan said a ”looming human rights disaster” in the provision of aged care could be diverted, but only if society placed a higher value on careers in aged care. Central to this would be better opportunities for immigrants and career changers, she said.
“We do not have enough now and unless we introduce new approaches, we won’t have anywhere near enough in 40 years,” says Ms Ryan.
Ms Ryan said that many valuable aged care workers came from recent immigrant populations and through “more targeted immigration initiatives” Australia could increase the number of skilled aged care workers.
She also singled out career changers as another important source of potential workers for the sector. “Increasingly, aged care workers also come from other parts of the labour market, from second or third career moves, or people coming from declining sectors – and aged care can be a good option for older workers who are having difficulty finding jobs,” she said.
Ms Ryan said a ”looming human rights disaster” in the provision of aged care could be diverted, but only if society placed a higher value on careers in aged care. Central to this would be better opportunities for immigrants and career changers, she said.
“We do not have enough now and unless we introduce new approaches, we won’t have anywhere near enough in 40 years,” says Ms Ryan.
