The IRC will be in charge of developing national competency standards for aged care vocational training and facilitate any required education and training reforms.
The IRC is being championed by the chairman of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce Professor John Pollaers, who was appointed to the role in September 2017.
To the point, he has just written two editorials on the IRC for The Australian and Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald pushing the need for the aged care workforce to upgrade its skills.
He says there is a “clear and pressing case” for change in education and training with providers telling him that “graduates are not job ready”. He also adds that workers are concerned about “a lack of career pathways – and feeling their contribution is not valued or recogised by society”.
Prof Pollaers does have plenty of experience in advising on skills development. Also chairman of the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council, he was previously the CEO and Managing Director at Pacific Brands, CEO of Foster’s Group and held senior roles at Diageo plc, the world’s largest producer of spirits.
