NEXT GENeration of aged-care professionals
By Sean Rooney*
Monday, 28 May, 2018
The aged-care industry needs the best and brightest minds to ensure our growing numbers of older Australians receive the best care, support and service as possible.
Leading Age Service Australia (LASA) is launching the NEXT GEN initiative to attract more young leaders and professionals to steer the age services industry through a period of unprecedented growth and change and into the future.
The combination of increasing demand for age services, the emerging need for renewal and growth of the current workforce and the desire for new ideas, technologies and models of care to meet the changing needs of the growing numbers of older Australians make the NEXT GEN initiative a program of national importance for the age services industry.
The ageing demographics of Australia mean that any young career-minded individual who wants to make聽a positive difference in the lives of others has strong opportunities to progress their careers in the age services industry. There are many genuine career opportunities, working in either age services directly or in professions and trades that service our industry, where people can be challenged and rewarded, all while making a meaningful difference in people鈥檚 lives.
The feedback we are hearing from young people is that they want to have a voice and they want to play a key role in shaping and driving the aged-care industry of the future.
The NEXT GEN Young Leaders Forum was the first event under LASA鈥檚 NEXT GEN initiative and was launched by the Federal Minister for Aged Care Hon Ken Wyatt MP on Tuesday, 15 May in Perth.
The forum involved young professionals, current leaders, emerging leaders and board directors with a shared desire to make a positive difference in the lives of older Australians. Participants may have already been working in the aged-care industry or are ambitious young professionals seeking a dynamic new career path.
These young professionals are passionate and creative, with a vision that challenges many of the mindsets and models associated with the way we currently care for our older Australians.
Launching Australia鈥檚 first aged-care Next Gen Young Leaders Forum in Perth, Minister Wyatt said strong, long-term demand and the promise of new professional pathways made the sector an ideal employment choice.
鈥淲e are entering a golden age of ageing,鈥 said Minister Wyatt. 鈥淚n WA alone, it鈥檚 projected employment in health, aged care and social assistance will reach more than 180,000 by 2022, as our population ages and the sector becomes increasingly diverse.
鈥淭o put this in perspective, this is around 50% more workers than were in WA鈥檚 mining industry at the peak of the resources boom in 2012.
鈥淔orums like this are crucial, to highlight the aged-care sector鈥檚 potential and to canvas ideas from young leaders about getting the message out.鈥
Two young leaders who have found exciting career and leadership opportunities in the aged-care sector include Laura Sutherland (3D Recruit) and Samantha Bowen (Acorn Network).
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