Selmar Institute of Education (Selmar), a Catalyst Education RTO, has launched its new Aged Care Employment Program as part of an Australia-first partnership designed to immediately accelerate skills development and employment outcomes in the sector.
Developed in partnership with Generation Australia, and backed by the for-purpose investment firm run by former NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn, the new program will guide people from traineeships to aged care placements within 12 months.
The Aged Care Employment Program prepares and supports participants through short, intensive ‘Work Readiness’ training, followed by a paid 12-month traineeship for eligible graduates with Uniting NSW & ACT – Australia’s largest aged care provider.
Selmar CEO Jo Asquith states the program aims to address two critical areas for the sector; a pipeline of talent and the adaptive skills required in workers to provide a better quality of care outcomes. She adds that partnering with a leading provider like Uniting NSW.ACT offers tangible and immediate benefits for the whole sector.
“There is a real and pressing need for a national pipeline of talent entering the aged care sector.
The sector has a responsibility to prepare workers coming into the workforce with high-quality education and training and to ensure they are equipped to make a meaningful difference in the lives of aged care consumers.
“To provide the best care, aged care workers must have developed emotional intelligence and be empathetic to those in their care. This program is about finding those people at scale, training them, and connecting them with clear career pathways to ensure they are making a positive difference from day one.
“We are thrilled to have Uniting NSW.ACT as our partner, providing traineeships to eligible graduates of the Work Readiness program. This provides a genuine education-to-employment pathway that will immediately address pipeline challenges and provide significant employment opportunities for participants,” Ms Asquith states.
Generation Australia contributed to the design and structure of the program through its ‘Powered by Generation’ model. Generation Australia CEO Malcolm Kinns states a key part of its role in the partnership is finding solutions to the challenge of delivering quality outcomes at scale.
“Working with Catalyst Education, we’ve created a financially sustainable model that allows for the growth of the program to meet the demand, which we know will only continue to rise.
“The size of the skills shortage in aged care means quality education-to-employment pathways must be delivered at scale. As Australia’s largest aged care provider, Uniting NSW.ACT is the perfect partner to set the example of how education and employment providers can work together to solve critical challenges facing this sector.”
Applications for the first intake of students can be made at the Selmar website here – selmar.edu.au/courses/aged-care-courses/aged-care-employment-program/, and close Thursday 18 November. A second intake will commence in early 2022.
Aged Care Providers interested in becoming traineeship partner for the program can get in touch with Catalyst, Selmar or Generation Australia directly.
