AGED CARE SECTOR COMES TOGETHER TO RELEASE COMMON GOALS AT JOBS & SKILLS SUMMIT
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September 7, 2022
Catholic Health Australia has welcomed the news that the Albanese Government will increase its migration intake which could flow through to the health and aged care sectors battling severe workforce shortages.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill announced on day two of the Jobs & Skills Summit that the Government would boost the annual migrant intake to 195,000.
An injection of $36 million to clear the visa backlog is also a welcome commitment to help fix the aged care workforce crisis.
Earlier this year a CHA study by the University of Notre Dame found there were 82,156 hospital and aged care vacancies in Australia.
The announcement was one of those that was at the top of the list on CHA’s five point-plan announced ahead of the Summit (see below).
CHA is attending the Canberra event as the voice of not-for-profit aged and health care providers, and more broadly the Catholic sector.
CHA CEO Pat Garcia said: “This is a very welcome announcement to come out of the Jobs Summit. With a shortfall of tens of thousands of workers across hospitals and aged care facilities the increased migrant intake to Australia will help.
“It is a wonderful investment in the future of Australia. Now the sector needs to work with Government to make a career in aged care and nursing as attractive as possible to those people, so they can come to Australia safe in the knowledge they will be paid a fair wage for the important work they do.”
“The people who work in our network bring dignity to the those that they care for. They in turn should expect it back from providers and from their government in the form of fair remuneration and good career prospects.”
