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Calvary aged care workers from the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati are the first placement of workers in Tasmania under the Commonwealth Government’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
The four women, who work at Calvary Sandhill aged care home, graduated on 19 September with a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing).
They are among 26 recruits from Kiribati who have trained to become personal care workers across Calvary’s aged care homes in regional Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Kiribati is one of nine Pacific Island countries participating in the PALM scheme, which offers a reliable workforce to Australian employers where there is an unmet demand for labour, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Calvary’s Regional Chief Executive Officer, Tasmania, Melissa Evans, said the program offered workers from developing countries an opportunity to upskill and help support their families and communities back home for a period of up to four years.
“They are a joyful group and have brought their innate sense of caring for family and community to their new roles here at Calvary,” Ms Evans said.
“It has been an uplifting experience for our residents and the group’s training has given them a robust foundation in aged care principles, practices, and the specific needs of those who are ageing.”
Calvary partnered with specialist health care employment organisation HealthX to facilitate the Kiribati worker’s placements and training across the organisation.
HealthX Chief Executive Officer James Scott said the selected workers completed initial accredited training in Kiribati before arriving in Brisbane in early June for four weeks intensive residential training.
They arrived in Launceston in July to team up with staff buddies at Calvary Sandhill for further practical, on-the-job training, and online classroom support.
“HealthX is honoured to partner with Calvary Health Care in bringing the first PALM workers to Tasmania,” Mr Scott said.
“Our exceptional team from Kiribati have already made a significant impact, not only with their skills but also with their genuine care and compassion for the residents at Calvary Sandhill.
“We’re excited to see this program expand and continue our collaboration with Calvary to provide exceptional high-quality care to those who need it most.”
Group member Keke Tamwi was excited to take up the opportunity.
“We are very happy to be here. We want to learn new skills and knowledge and be able to support our families back home. The scheme is a very good thing, it helps us a lot.
“We also want to help the people, particularly the elderly ones. It is part of our culture to look after the elderly.”
She said they were also looking forward to exploring their new island home: “We look forward to seeing Tassie and the historic buildings, it is very different from home”.
(Source: Calvary Health Care)
