Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Services Workforce Projects

There is a need to build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and human services workforce especially in regional, rural and remote areas where there are substantial workforce shortages. There is also a need to ensure that training and education in health and human services embeds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety, so that all workers are better equipped to provide culturally safe care.

The HSSO has identified opportunities to complement the strong capacity of peak organisations and community-controlled organisations, focusing on employment and training of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in mainstream health and human services.

These opportunities include addressing:

1. System-wide barriers impacting the health and human services sector by:

• Enabling and incentivising effective employer workforce planning strategies.
• Simplifying and scaffolding the pathway to Certificate III and higher qualifications in health and human services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people nationally.
• Simplifying Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) processes so that prior formal and informal education and training can be recognised and credentialled.
• Clarifying and simplifying practice requirements and associated approval processes.

2. Sector barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and mainstream health and human services employers by:

• Enabling health and human services employers to build culturally safe workplaces.
• Assisting health and human services employers to recruit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
• Enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to complete qualifications relevant to their roles that meet skills shortages.

First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Framework

Working in partnership with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), the HSSO has developed the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Framework which outlines the program roll out over the next 4 years.

Read the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Care Traineeship Framework.

The traineeships are focused on the Certificate III and IV Aboriginal Health Worker and Practitioner qualifications through a combination of classroom-based training, supplemented by on-the-job learning with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). The program will produce a steady pipeline of skilled and qualified workers, helping address ACCHO skills shortages across Australia especially in regional, rural and remote areas.

RTO Training and Assessment Resources

In addition, the HSSO are developing training and assessment resources for use by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health RTOs for the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Framework and the Elder Care Support Program.

Workforce Yarning Circle

Together with NACCHO, the HSSO designed and delivered a 2-day National Workforce Summit Yarning Circle to gather ACCHOs, Aboriginal community-controlled RTO’s and relevant government and sector stakeholder groups, to identify health and human services workforce challenges and opportunities to increase workforce capacity.

Held in March 2023, the Workforce Yarning Circle delivered the following outcomes:

• Increased understanding of workforce barriers, challenges and opportunities in the ACCHO sector.
• Increased understanding of gaps and resources within the ACCHO and training sectors through mapping.
• Developed fit-for-purpose solutions, pathways and action plans for ACCHOs to pursue.
• Shared positive stories and learnings from the ACCHO sector.
• Developed a Community of Practice among ACCHO staff leading workforce and training in their organisations.
• Increased connectivity between ACCHO staff and government and sector stakeholder representatives.

Read the National Workforce Summit Visual Report.