In the 2022-23 financial year, 428 workers from the Pacific and Timor-Leste arrived in Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and undertook placements in the aged care sector, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The SOURCE.
With acute workforce shortages across the sector, this program alone will not be enough to fill staffing gaps.
But the Government is ramping up efforts to bring more overseas workers into Australia to work in aged care.
The spokesperson told The SOURCE that the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreements will “streamline the recruitment of qualified overseas care workers to work in Australia’s aged care industry” and “complement” the PALM scheme.
The October 2022 Budget included additional funding to build on the Aged Care Expansion (ACE) program, through which 500 PALM workers will study a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) and then continue working for up to four years in Australia.
“There has been considerable interest from both employers and potential workers in the ACE program,” the spokesperson said.
Chief Executive Officer of Southern Cross Care Queensland (SCCQ), Jason Eldering (pictured above), recently shared with The SOURCE, that they were the first aged care provider to bring staff in from Papua New Guinea, with an initial nine staff and hopes to bring in an additional 20.
“It’s the most magnificent thing. I’ve met with the nine ladies from Papua New Guinea and they are professional workers, all are basically registered nurses.
“They’re coming in to support our rural and remote communities. They will build amazing relationships with our residents over the next two years and make a significant difference to our communities.”
The Government has also recently reformed components of the PALM scheme, including ensuring casual employees are paid a minimum of 30 hours a week and changes to make sure workers understand deductions from their pay packets, which are often for accommodation, transport, and flights.
The SOURCE: Considering the serious staff shortages in aged care, recruiting staff from overseas is part, but not all, of the solution.