Community services and health industry

Transcription

1 Community services and health industry Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (CSHISC) is responsible for the development and review of training packages in this industry. While community services is a diverse industry, CSHISC highlights four key sectors: disability services children s services mental health services aged care services Key sectors in the health industry include: enrolled nursing health services assistance emergency medical service first response and basic health care ancillary/support services dental work (including dental technology) complementary and alternative health allied health assistance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health work National context According to the CSHISC Environmental Scan 2010 Australia s ageing population and increased spending pressure in health, especially aged care, are major issues. CSHISC predicts continued growth in the industry over next 15 years. Community services industry This industry sector is covered by the CHC08: Community Services Training Package. National context The main issues in this sector include increasing skill profiles for employees and redesigning jobs to reflect complexity of service provision as well as modernising the award and obtaining equal remuneration for social and community service workers. The Australian Government, in partnership with all state and territory governments, is making important changes to early childhood education and care in Australia. This is being done through the introduction of the National Quality Framework which has been agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). The National Quality Framework will put in place a new National Quality Standard to ensure high quality and consistent early childhood education and care across Australia. By 1 January 2014: within each long day care centre or preschool, half of all staff will need to have (or to be actively working towards) a diploma-level early childhood education and care qualification or above, and the remaining staff will all be required to have (or be actively working towards) a certificate III level early childhood education and care qualification, or equivalent. all family day care coordinators will need to have a diploma-level early childhood education and care qualification or above all family day carers will be required to have (or be actively working towards) a certificate III level early childhood education and care qualification, or equivalent. Improving staff qualifications is important as the research shows that staff with higher qualifications are usually better able to get improved outcomes for children. More highly qualified staff means greater understanding of health and safety issues and that staff are more able to lead activities that inspire youngsters and help them learn and develop. Since 2009, the Australian Government has invested in 1 18 Jan 2011

2 the TAFE fee waiver initiative that that removes TAFE fees for child care diplomas and advanced diplomas. Community services occupations and qualifications in demand at the national level have been identified by CSHISC and are presented in Table 1. Table 1: Community services occupations and qualifications in demand at the national level Occupation Welfare Worker Community Worker Welfare Centre Manager Youth Worker Family Support Worker Aged or Disabled Carer Child Care Worker Child Care Centre Manager Aged or Disabled Carer Disabilities Services Officer Drug & Alcohol Counsellor Welfare Support Workers Qualification Cert II Community Services Work Cert III Community Services Work Cert IV Community Services Work Cert IV Community Development Cert IV Community Services Advocacy Dip Community Development Dip Community Services Work Dip Community Services (Case Management) Dip Community Services (Financial Counselling) Adv Dip Community Services Management Voc Grad Dip Community Sector Management Cert IV Youth Work Dip Youth Work Cert IV Child, Youth & Family Intervention (Residential & Out of Home Care) Cert IV Child, Youth & Family Intervention (Child Protection) Cert IV Child, Youth & Family Intervention (Family Support) Cert III Aged Care Cert IV Aged Care Cert III Home & Community Care Cert IV Home & Community Care Cert III Children s Services Cert IV Children s Services (Outside School Hours Care) Dip Children s Services (Early Childhood Education and Care) Dip Children s Services (Outside School Hours Care) Adv Dip Children s Services Cert III Disability Cert IV Disability Dip Disability Cert IV Alcohol & Other Drugs Dip Community Services (Alcohol & Other Drugs) Dip Community Services (Alcohol, Other Drugs & Mental Health) Cert IV Mental Health Dip Community Services (Mental Health) Dip Community Services (Alcohol, Other Drugs & Mental Health) 2 18 Jan 2011

3 The following community services occupations are included on the current Department of Immigration and Citizenship Skilled Occupation List (SOL): Welfare Centre Manager Child Care Centre Manager Local context The occupation Child Care Worker was shortlisted as a priority VET-related occupation by ACT industry stakeholders in the 2009 Skill Demand Survey. The occupation Other Specialist Managers (which includes the occupations Welfare Centre Manager and Child Care Centre Manager) was shortlisted by industry as an ACT prioritised occupation for in the Managers and Administrators category. The following community services occupations are included on the current ACT State Migration Plan Occupation List: Welfare Centre Manager Child Care Centre Manager Drug and Alcohol Counsellor Welfare Worker Disabilities Services Officer Community Worker Youth Worker Family Support Worker The outcomes of ACT stakeholder consultations indicated that: pay rates are a significant issue in retaining workers in the children s services sector as there are no incentives for workers to complete degrees increase in employees from non-english speaking backgrounds is welcomed although these employees need support to improve their English proficiency the children s services sector experiences a high turnover of staff which makes training absolutely essential Certificate III in Children s Services and Certificate IV in Children s Services (Outside school hours care) are considered appropriate entry level qualifications for occupations in the children s services sector but there needs to be a carryover of skills sets to diploma courses there is little flexibility in moving from one community services occupation to another entry into children s services provides a clear and visible career path where training and qualification requirements are known. there may be future demand for tender/grant/proposal writing workshops, as skills are often lacking in this area skilled migrants contribute to labour supply in the community services sector. However, there is concern that the skill competency outcomes in English language are not meeting expectations in the aged care and disabilities occupations. certificate III should be the entry level for those working in institutions or facilities where staff are closely supervised whereas certificate IV is recommended as the entry level qualification at facilities where supervision is limited. workers are looking for generic training with specialities which would allow for movement into other care occupations. For example, from aged care into acute care. workers want their skills to be transferable across the community services sector head hunting and poaching of staff from different areas of community services impact on training needs in the industry. national registration for nursing will also have an impact on training and employment in the community services sector there is an ongoing need for skills sets, foundation training, and formalised mentoring training with forthcoming accreditation requirements for the industry, there is going to be a greater need for workers to be qualified Certificate II in Community Services Support Work is ideal for those seeking to re-enter the workforce 3 18 Jan 2011

4 organisations that employ volunteers would like all their workers to hold a minimum of a certificate II, and ideally a diploma the Diploma of Children s Services, Advanced Diploma of Children s Services, and the Diploma of Community Welfare provide strong articulation to the Catholic University Canberra campus. As seen in Table 2 below, the majority of demand for Australian Apprenticeship training in the children s services industry is at certificate III and diploma level. Demand for these two traineeships has remained grown significantly compared to the levels. Demand has also increased for Australian Schoolbased Apprenticeships (ASBAs) in the Certificate III in Children s Services. There is a low level of demand for Certificate IV in Children's Services (Outside school hours care) which has remained steady over the past two years. In the Community Services sector, there has been an increase in traineeship commencements in Certificate IV in Community Services Work. Seven of the trainees commencing in this qualification in are employed by the ACT Department of Disability Housing & Community Services. The majority of demand for Australian Apprenticeship training in the aged care sector is at certificate III level. The next highest are commencements in traineeships in Certificate III in Disability, which have shown an increase in when compared with Traineeships at Certificate IV in Aged Care and Certificate IV in Disability have shown a decrease compared to levels. However, there has been increased interest in ASBAs in Certificate III in Disability in Certificate IV in Education Support has shown notable demand for a new qualification. All the trainees commencing in this qualification are employed as learning support assistants in ACT public schools. While the Diploma of Disability is a level one priority under the User Choice program there have been no commencements in this qualification over the last two financial years. Demand for traineeships in Certificate IV in Youth Work has remained steady over the last two years. However, there has been no demand in recent years for traineeships in Diploma of Youth Work, despite this qualification being designated a level one User Choice priority. As a result of requests from various ACT VET stakeholders, the Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling) was added to the ACT Australian Apprenticeships register on 30 July Table 3, shows commencements in the training places allocated in the 2009 Productivity Places Program (PPP) application rounds. The most popular qualification taken up by both job seekers and existing workers was the Certificate III in Children s Services, followed by the Certificate III in Aged Care. Among existing workers only, the Certificate IV in Disability proved very popular. In 2010 PPP application rounds, training places in the following qualifications were allocated for job seekers wishing to commence training before 31 December 2010: Certificate II in Community Services Certificate III in Children s Services Certificate III in Disability Certificate III in Aged Care. In 2010 PPP application rounds, training places in the following qualifications were allocated for job existing workers seeking to commence training before 31 December 2010: Certificate III in Children s Services Diploma of Children s Services (Early Childhood Education and Care) Advanced Diploma of Children s Services Certificate III in Aged Care Certificate IV in Aged Care Certificate IV in Youth Work There was also notable demand for PPP training places in the enabling qualifications Certificate IV in Frontline Management and Diploma of Management from existing workers in the aged care industry. As shown in Table 4, during the highest level of demand for community services training under the Priorities Support Program (PSP) was for Certificate I in Work Preparation (Community Services). This qualification can provide a pathway to further study in higher level community services 4 18 Jan 2011

5 qualifications. There was also notable demand for Certificate III in Aged Care and skill sets training in competences from the Certificate IV Community Services (Protective Care). According to the ACT Department of Disability Housing & Community Services accredited training of foster carers is a vital tool in ensuring higher attraction and retention rates. The next highest demand was for skills sets or full qualifications in Certificate II in Community Services. This qualification is a means for potential employees to gain appropriate skills in preparation for employment or as a pathway to further training in the Certificate III in Community Services Work and Certificate IV in Community Services Work. There was also demand for training in competencies in safe food hygiene practices from the Certificate III in Children s Services, a pre-requisite in child care and aged care facilities. There was also a notable demand from small business operators in the family day care industry for the full Certificate III in Children s Services. Seven community services qualifications were identified as skill shortage areas other than traditional trades under the Skilling Australia s Workforce (SAW) Agreement During this period the ACT agreed to achieve specific commencements targets for these qualifications. Table 5 sets out the ACT targets over the four years and the actual commencements achieved. Commencements data are drawn from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) Students and Courses Database and represent students commencing in funded programs administered by the ACT Department of Education and Training on behalf of the ACT and Australian Governments as well as courses funded by the ACT Government through the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). The commencements target for: Certificate III in Disability Work: exceeded by 105 percent Certificate IV in Aged Care Work: exceeded by 26 percent Certificate IV in Disability Work: exceeded by 88 percent Certificate IV in Out of School Hours Care: under subscribed by 16 percent Certificate IV in Community Services Work: exceeded by 108 percent Certificate IV in Community Services (Lifestyle & Leisure): exceeded by 296 percent Certificate IV in Community Services (Service Co-ordination): under subscribed by 47 percent Two qualifications currently linked to skill shortage occupations show no evidence of demand under any of the funding programs administered by the ACT Department of Education and Training. These are Certificate IV in Community Development and Diploma of Disability. Funding for both of these qualifications was available under the Australian Apprenticeship through User Choice program, PPP and PSP. However, there were no commencements in these qualifications under any of these programs during On the other hand, there is evidence of some training in these qualifications occurring outside the funding programs administered by the ACT Department of Education and Training. According to NCVER Students and Courses Database, 11 students commenced in a Certificate IV in Community Development and two students commenced in Diploma of Disability in According to the database, this training was delivered by CIT Jan 2011

6 Table 2: ACT Australian Apprenticeship commencements in community services qualifications, Qualification Type Year Commencements Cert II Community Services CHC20108 ASBA Cert II Community Services CHC20108 Traineeship Cert III Community Services CHC30108 Traineeship Cert III Children s Services CHC30708 Traineeship Cert III Children s Services CHC30708 ASBA Cert IV Children s Services CHC41208 (outside school Traineeship hours care) Cert IV Community Services Work CHC40708 Traineeship Cert IV Community Services CHC42002 (Service Coordination) Traineeship Dip Children s Services CHC51008 (outside school Traineeship hours care) Dip Children s Services CHC50908 Traineeship Cert III Aged Care CHC30208 Traineeship Cert III Aged Care CHC30208 ASBA Cert III Disability CHC30408 Traineeship Cert III Disability CHC30408 ASBA Cert III Home & Community Care CHC30308 Traineeship Cert IV Aged Care CHC40108 Traineeship Cert IV Disability CHC40308 Traineeship Cert IV Education Support CHC41708 Traineeship Cert IV Leisure & Health CHC40608 Traineeship Dip Leisure & Health CHC50508 Traineeship Dip Disability CHC50108 Traineeship Cert III Employment Services CHC30908 Traineeship Cert IV Alcohol & Other Drugs CHC40408 Traineeship Cert IV Youth Work CHC41808 Traineeship Cert IV Employment Services CHC42008 Traineeship Cert IV Social Housing CHC40908 Traineeship Table 3: ACT PPP commencements in community services qualifications, October 2009 to June Jan 2011

7 Qualification Commencements Job Seekers Existing Workers Cert III Children s Services CHC Dip Children s Services CHC Ad Dip Children s Services CHC Cert III Aged Care CHC Cert III Disability CHC Cert IV Aged Care CHC Cert IV Disability CHC Cert IV Youth Work CHC Dip Youth Work CHC Table 4: ACT PSP commencements in community services by qualification* Qualification Commencements Cert II Community Services 36 Cert III Children s Services 35 Cert IV Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Residential and Out of Home Care) 16 CHC41408 Cert IV Community Services (Protective care) CHC Dip Community Services Coordination CHC Cert III Aged Care CHC Cert III Disability CHC Cert III Home & Community Care CHC Cert IV Aged Care CHC Cert IV Disability CHC Cert IV Leisure & Health CHC Cert I in Work Preparation (Community Services) CHC *Note: These qualifications may have been delivered as skills sets or full qualifications. Table 5: ACT targets and commencements in identified skills shortage areas in community services under the SAW Agreement Qualification Target Actual commencements Cert III Disability Work CHC Cert IV Aged Care Work CHC Cert IV Disability Work CHC Cert IV Out of School Hours Care CHC Cert IV Community Services Work CHC Cert IV Community Services (Lifestyle & Leisure) CHC Cert IV Community Services (Service Co-ordination) CHC Jan 2011

8 Conclusion The following qualifications have been identified as priority industry-specific training needs for the ACT community services industry in These qualifications, and associated occupations, have been identified using the combined evidence of past demand for Australian Apprenticeships, PPP and PSP training places, ACT industry feedback, availability of training courses in the ACT, and evidence of skill shortages presented in the 2009 ACT Skills Demand Survey, ACT State Migration Plan Occupation List, CSHISC Environmental Scan 2010, and Australian Government s PPP Priority Occupations and Qualifications List. Community services occupations and qualifications for the ACT Industry Training Needs List Occupation Welfare Worker Community Worker Child Care Worker Out of School Hours Care Worker Youth Worker Family Support Worker Child Care Centre Manager Aged or Disabled Carer Qualification Cert II Community Services CHC20108 Cert IV Community Services Work CHC40708 Dip Community Services Coordination CHC52208 Dip Community Services (Financial Counselling) CHC52108 Cert III Children s Services CHC30708 Cert IV Children's Services (Outside school hours care) CHC41208 Cert IV Youth Work CHC41808 Dip Youth Work CHC51408 Cert IV Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Residential and out of home care) CHC41408 Cert IV Child, Youth & Family Intervention (Child Protection) CHC41508 Dip Children's Services (Outside school hours care) CHC51008 Dip Children's Services (Early childhood education and care) CHC50908 Adv Dip Children's Services CHC60208 Cert III Aged Care CHC30208 Cert IV Aged Care CHC40108 Cert III Home & Community Care CHC30308 Cert IV Home & Community Care CHC40208 Aged or Disabled Carer Disabilities Services Officer Cert III Disability CHC30408 Cert IV Disability CHC40308 Cert IV Education Support CHC41708 Clerical and Office Support Workers Cert I Work Preparation CHC Jan 2011

9 Health industry This industry sector is covered by the HLT07: Health Services Training Package. National context In December 2008 the Australian Government published the final report of the Review of Higher Education (the Bradley Review). In 2009, in response to the Bradley Review s recommendations, the Australian Government committed $5.4 billion to support higher education and research over the next four years, and signalled significant changes to Australia s higher education system that will affect the health industries. For example, financial incentives will be offered to organisations offering some training programs within the industries, such as nursing. Depending on how the Bradley Review recommendations are implemented, the implications for the VET sector may be far-reaching. According to the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council 2010 Environmental Scan, a single governance framework for the tertiary sector combining VET and higher education may better serve the community services and health industries in terms of articulation and links between the VET and university sectors. However, CSHISC argues that consideration will also need to be given to links between the community services and health industries and the possibilities and consequences of workforce development across community services and health. A National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health professions and accreditation of their education and training was introduced in July This will make it easier for health professionals to work across state borders. The scheme will initially cover the nine health professions that are currently subject to statutory registration in each state and territory: physiotherapy, optometry, nursing and midwifery, chiropractic care, pharmacy, dental care, medicine, psychology and osteopathy and podiatrists. Health occupations and qualifications in demand at the national level have been identified by CSHISC and are presented in Table 6. Table 6: Health occupations and qualifications in demand at the national level Occupation Qualification Enrolled Nurse Cert IV Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2) Dip Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2) Adv Dip Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2) Personal Care Assistant Cert III Health Service Assistance Nursing Support Worker N/A Cert IV Medical Practice Assisting N/A Cert III Allied Health Assistance Cert IV Allied Health Assistance Cert III Nutrition and Dietetic Assistance Cert III Hospital/Health Services Pharmacy Support Cert IV Hospital/Health Services Pharmacy Support Medical Technicians Cert IV Audiometric Assessment Dip Hearing Device Prescription and Evaluation Pathology Assistant N/A Cert III Pathology Cert IV Pathology Optical Mechanic Cert IV Optical Technology Optical Dispenser Cert IV Optical Dispensing Environmental Health Officer Cert II Indigenous Environmental Health Cert III Indigenous Environmental Health Cert IV Indigenous Environmental Health Dip Indigenous Environmental Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Cert II Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Islander Health Worker Care Cert III Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health 9 18 Jan 2011

10 Dental Assistant N/A Dental Technician N/A Care Cert IV Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice) Cert IV Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Community Care) Dip Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice) Dip Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Community Care) Cert III Dental Assisting Cert IV Dental Assisting Cert III Dental Laboratory Assisting Dip Dental Technology Cert IV Population Health The following health occupations are included on the current Department of Immigration and Citizenship Skilled Occupation List (SOL): Medical Administrator Nursing Clinical Director Primary Health Organisation Manager Medical Laboratory Scientist Optometrist Chiropractor Osteopath Ophthalmologist Occupational Therapist Physiotherapist Podiatrist Audiologist Speech Pathologist Pathologist Psychologists nec Midwife Nurse Practitioner Registered Nurse (aged care) Registered Nurse (child and family health) Registered Nurse (community health) Registered Nurse (critical care and emergency) Registered Nurse (development disability) Registered Nurse (medical) Registered Nurse (medical practice) Registered Nurse (mental health) Registered Nurse (perioperative) Registered Nurse (surgical) Registered Nurse nec Dentist Dental Hygienist Dental Prosthetist Dental Technician Dental Therapist Local context Jan 2011

11 The CSHISC 2010 Environmental Scan reports on the need to realign roles in health care delivery to include cross-disciplinary professional scope, and the need for allied health assistant roles to meet demand for services. Industry stakeholders confirm this is the case locally. The new Canberra Hospital Walk-in Centre, where advanced health practitioners deliver integrated care in a state of the art information technology environment is an example of the way in which health services are more likely to be delivered in the future. Stakeholders expressed the view that the new certificate IV and diploma level qualifications need to be supplemented with higher level qualifications, such as in advanced practice and management roles. These findings are consistent with those identified in the CSHISC s Mental Health Articulation Between VET Providers and Universities Report The ACT Health Workforce Plan : identifies a number of strategies to respond to the increasing demand for health services and changing models of health care these initiatives rely on strong partnerships with both the tertiary and VET sectors to collaboratively develop skill sets and training programs for changing and emerging roles, with the potential for flexible career paths with articulation between VET and higher education. this includes supporting skill sets that improve the potential for interprofessional collaborative care, and training in delegation and supervision for allied health professionals working with support staff. Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance or an equivalent qualification is considered to be the relevant qualification for Allied Health Assistants. Some trainees with a Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance fulfill appropriate positions. The following health occupations are included on the current ACT State Migration Plan Occupation List: Ambulance Officer Audiologist Dental Hygienist Dental Prosthetist Dental Technician Dental Therapist Dietician Environmental Health Officer Intensive Care Ambulance Paramedic Massage Therapist Medical Administrator Medical Laboratory Technician Medical Laboratory Scientist Midwife Nurse Educator Nurse Researcher Nurse Manager Nurse Practitioner Nursing Clinical Director Occupational Health and Safety Advisor Occupational Therapist Ophthalmologist Pathologist Physiotherapist Podiatrist Primary Health Organisation Manager Psychologists nec Registered Nurse (aged care) Registered Nurse (child and family health) Jan 2011

12 Registered Nurse (community health) Registered Nurse (critical care and emergency) Registered Nurse (development disability) Registered Nurse (medical) Registered Nurse (medical practice) Registered Nurse (mental health) Registered Nurse (perioperative) Registered Nurse (surgical) Speech Pathologist The occupation Personal Care and Nursing Assistants was shortlisted as a priority VET-related occupation by ACT industry stakeholders in the 2009 Skill Demand Survey. The occupations Registered Nurse and Psychologists were shortlisted by industry as an ACT prioritised occupation for in the Professionals and Administrators category. ACT industry stakeholders indicated that: there are new occupations evolving in the health industry e.g. those which involve going into people s homes to provide health support services in 2011 there is a need for Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) and Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) would fill the gap as enrolled nurses gradually retire because there is a high level of demand for nursing, there is also a need for assistant nurses who need a Certificate III in Health Service Assistance Certificate III in Health Support Services should be considered as entry-level requirement for wardsmen training towards nationally recognised qualifications for all ambulance employees is base-line and mandatory. Successful completion of recognised qualifications is an employment condition the ACT Ambulance Service considers the following qualifications to be entry-level for the following occupations: o Communications Centre operators: Certificate III in Ambulance Communications (Calltaking) o Patient Transport Service: Certificate III in Non Emergency Client Transport o Ambulance Paramedic (emergency operations): Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance) o Intensive Care Paramedic: Advanced Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance) funded training provides greater flexibility and more options for the ambulance industry in how workforce expansion is achieved there may be a place for specific roles within the ACT Ambulance Service which do not involve physical activity e.g. as communications centre staff, if there is a change to ACT Ambulance Service employment classifications in the future. There will be a shortfall in qualified ambulance staff when those who are aged 54 years retire the ACT Ambulance Service prioritises the following qualifications for 2011: o Certificate III in Non Emergency Client Transport o Certificate III in Ambulance Communications (Call-taking) o Certificate IV in Ambulance Communications o Certificate IV in Health care (Ambulance) o Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance) o Advanced Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance) the extent of unmet need within particular groups, such as youth and older people, has driven a national mental health reform agenda and increased access for such groups to mental health care services, which in turn drives a need for practice enhancement there is a small but growing workforce within ACT Health, for whom the most appropriate (but currently not mandatory) qualification is the Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance ACT Health has supported training in the Certificate IV Allied Health Assistance as well as employing a number of graduates from the training program the supply of graduates, together with job applicants with other relevant qualifications, is currently meeting the demand for Allied Health Assistants within the ACT and this group is not identified as experiencing high vacancy rates in Jan 2011

13 allied health professionals have not traditionally engaged in the VET sector as under-graduate training at entry level is primarily through the higher education sector people interested in Allied Health Assistant roles, or existing staff employed in these roles, appear to be influenced by employment conditions including rates of pay, mandatory requirement for training/qualification and access to ongoing (permanent) employment; by provision of employer-supported training including access to paid study and study leave; existence of/participation in other relevant qualifications for the role; or by access to a pathway that articulates acquisition of competency skill sets to the higher education pathway of their choice. ACT Health has developed workplace innovation and reform projects in response to the national workforce taskforce strategies the ACT Government Budget provided funding to establish new health support roles including a total of 6 traineeships in Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance over 2010 and 2011 shared competencies/skill sets will allow the development of a flexible health workforce to meet future demand, whilst also providing individuals with a flexible career pathway. with training in Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance the industry is unable to provide sufficient industry placements for the necessary work experience for students nor is it able to provide enough trained health professional teachers for small groups of students studying specific skill sets e.g. Dietetics Assistance a significant shortage of dental assistants ongoing need for qualified dental assistants who need Certificate III in Dental Assisting a need for trained reception staff in dentist practices locally, training for Dental Technician and Prosthetist are neglected areas continued difficulty in attracting people to the dental industry in the public sector as the pay rates are so low. As seen in Table 7 below, there have been no commencements in nursing qualifications under the Australian Apprenticeships program. While the Advanced Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) is available as an Australian Apprenticeship pathway, no ACT-based RTO is scoped to deliver this qualification. In 2009, both the Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) and Advanced Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) were included on the Australian Government s Incentives Higher Technical Skills Employer Incentives list, attracting incentives payments for eligible employers of Australian Apprentices. Table 7 also shows a strong and increased demand for Certificate III in Health Support Services possibly reflecting the change to health service delivery as mentioned in the ACT Health Workforce Plan It shows increased demand for Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing and decreased demand for in Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice and Certificate IV in Health Administration. Table 7 shows a steady demand for Certificate III in Dental Assisting and an increased demand for Certificate IV in Dental Assisting. There are no RTOs are registered to deliver the Certificate III in Dental Laboratory Assisting in the ACT. Industry has not requested to the Certificate III in Dental Laboratory Assisting be added to the ACT Australian Apprenticeship Register, making it ineligible for User Choice funding Jan 2011

14 Table 7: ACT Australian Apprenticeship commencements in health qualifications, Qualification Type Year Commencements Cert III Non Emergency Client Transport HLT30207 Traineeship Cert IV Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) Traineeship HLT43407 Cert IV Mental Health work (nonclinical) Traineeship CHC40508 Cert IV Health Care (ambulance) HTL41007 Traineeship Dip Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) Traineeship HTL51607 Ad Dip nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) HTL61107 Traineeship Cert II Health Support Services HLT21207 ASBA Cert II Health Support Services HLT21207 Traineeship Cert III Health Services Assistance HLT32507 Traineeship Cert III Health Support Services HLT32807 Traineeship Cert III Health Administration HLT32907 Traineeship Cert IV Allied Health Assistance HLT42507 Traineeship Cert IV Massage Therapy Practice HLT40307 Traineeship Cert IV Health Administration HLT43207 Traineeship Cert IV Optical Dispensing HLT43507 Traineeship Dip Practice Management HLT52007 Traineeship Cert III Dental Assisting HLT Cert IV Dental Assisting HLT Dip. Dental Technology HLT Adv. Dip. Dental Prosthetics HLT Jan 2011

15 There were 15 commencements in the Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing), 10 commencements in Certificate IV in Health Supervision, and 20 commencements in Certificate III in Health Support Services (Food Services) under Phase II of the Productivity Places Program (PPP) in Table 8 shows commencements of training places allocated in the 2009 PPP application rounds under Phase III of the PPP. There were no training places for health related qualifications allocated in the 2010 PPP application rounds in Table 8: ACT PPP (Phase III) commencements in health qualifications, October 2009 to June 2010 Qualification Places allocated Job Seekers Existing Workers Cert IV Allied Health Assistance HLT Table 9 shows demand for training in health qualifications accessed through the Priorities Support Program (PSP). Table 9: ACT PSP commencements in health by qualification* Qualification Commencements Apply First Aid HLTFA301B 21 Certificate IV in Mental Health Work (Non-clinical) CHC *Note: These qualifications may have been delivered as skills sets or full qualifications. Four health qualifications were identified as skill shortage areas under the Skilling Australia s Workforce (SAW) Agreement During this period the ACT agreed to achieve specific commencements targets for these qualifications. Table 10 sets out the ACT targets over the four years and the actual commencements achieved. Commencements data are drawn from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) Students and Courses Database and represent students commencing in funded programs administered by the ACT Department of Education and Training on behalf of the ACT and Australian Governments as well as courses funded by the ACT Government through the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). Table 10: ACT targets and commencements in identified skills shortage areas in health under the SAW Agreement Qualification Target Actual commencements Dip Dental Technology HLT Cert III Health Support Services HLT Cert III Health Service Assistance (Client/Patient Services) HLT Cert IV Health Support Services (Supervision) HLT Jan 2011

16 According to the NCVER Students and Courses database, there is evidence of training occurring in the Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) in recent years other than that delivered under programs funded through the ACT Department of Education and Training. According to the database, in 2009 there were 171 enrolments in Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing). Conclusion The following qualifications have been identified as priority industry-specific training needs for the ACT health industry in These qualifications, and associated occupations, have been identified using the combined evidence of past demand for Australian Apprenticeships, PPP and PSP training places, ACT industry feedback, availability of training courses in the ACT, and evidence of skill shortages presented in the 2009 ACT Skills Demand Survey, ACT State Migration Plan Occupation List, CSHISC Environmental Scan 2010, and Australian Government s PPP Priority Occupations and Qualifications List. Health occupations and qualifications for the ACT Industry Training Needs List Occupation Ambulance officer Registered Nurse / Enrolled Nurse Registered Mental Health Nurse Personal Care Assistant Personal Care Assistant / Occupational Therapist Personal Care Assistant Primary Health Organisation Manager Other Elementary Service Workers Office Manager Optometrist Medical Administrator Dental Technician Dental Assistant Relevant qualifications Certificate III in Non-Emergency Client Transport Certificate IV in Health Care (Ambulance) Certificate IV in Ambulance Communications Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance) Advanced Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance) Certificate IV in Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 Nursing) Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 Nursing) Certificate IV in Mental Health Work (Non-clinical) Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance Certificate III in Health Services Assistance Certificate IV in Health Supervision Certificate II in Health Support Services Certificate III in Health Support Services Certificate III in Health Administration Certificate IV in Health Administration Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing Diploma of Practice Management Diploma of Dental Technology Certificate III in Dental Assisting Certificate IV in Dental Assisting Jan 2011