Undergraduate certificates and diplomas to skill aged care workers for jobs

More than 120,000 workers will be needed in aged care this decade. Now there’s new courses to study to get hired.

UNIVERSITIES are introducing aged care qualifications in a bid to lift the profile and attract more workers to the sector.

The University of South Australia recently launched two online programs – an Undergraduate Certificate in Aged Care and a Diploma in Aged Care – that it says will offer higher level skills than the vocational-based certificate III qualifications typically required to enter the industry.

UniSA Online academic director Associate Professor Barbara Parker says the new offerings, which cover topics such as dementia, mental health and behaviour, enablement and dignity, address many concerns raised during the Royal Commission into aged care.

“Heading into the Royal Commission, most people were pretty clear that there was a certain knowledge base and skills base that was required to work with older people,’’ she says.

More than 120,000 more workers are needed in aged care this decade.

“The certificate III definitely still has its place – and I wouldn’t like to suggest it doesn’t – but increasingly what we are seeing … is that there are a number of possible qualifications that should be available to upskill people in this area.’’

The Royal Commission’s damning report into Australia’s aged care system made 148 recommendations, including better wages and training for staff and mandatory minimum qualifications, to help address concerns of substandard care.

Parker says the university-level programs were introduced following discussions with industry about the skills workers need.

The courses are designed not only for those seeking roles as personal care workers but also for those who have frequent dealings with older people in their current profession.

“For example, they may be a nurse or a physio and really just want the expertise in caring for older people,’’ Parker says.

New qualifications have been introduced that will upskill healthcare staff to work in aged care settings.

Southern Cross Care chief executive David Moran says huge demand exists for aged care workers, with forecasters estimating another 120,000 recruits will be needed across Australia by 2030.

The not-for-profit aged care and retirement services provider is actively recruiting nurses, health and wellness promoters, domestic assistants and personal care workers amid a 30 per cent increase in its home care clients in the past year alone.

Moran says a Certificate III in Aged Care, Home and Community Care or Individual Support is the minimum qualification required to provide personal care services but stresses the qualifications must include a practical work placement – something UniSA is yet to be able to include through its online programs.

UniSA Online aged care student Rebecca Cooke, 49, was operating a small cleaning business when the death of her father, who had suffered from Parkinson’s disease and cancer, prompted her to retrain for a career as a home support worker.

“I’m realistic and know it may involve beginning with an entry-level role,’’ she says.

“The aged care sector is experiencing huge growth that is predicted to increase over the next few years and there is a real need for skilled workers.’’