Workforce Innovation and Reform
Skills recognition and upskilling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers
Overview
Health Workforce Australia's (HWA) Growing Our Future report recommended assisting the existing workforce to meet the minimum qualification requirements for registration as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner via recognition of prior learning and/or further education.
Only a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers hold the eligible qualification for registration, and this varies significantly between jurisdictions.
HWA’s skills recognition and upskilling project will fund registered training organisations (RTOs) to conduct a skills assessment and deliver requisite training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to obtain qualifications to enable registrations as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner.
Latest News
HWA has recently sought expressions of interest from RTOs interested in providing upskilling training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to enable them to attain a qualification in Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice).
The expressions of interests of RTOs are being finalised and a Request for Proposal process for successful organisations started in March 2013.
Background
From 1 July 2012, a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers became registered as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia has specified Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care (practice) as the eligible qualification for registration.
The available evidence indicates that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are not eligible for registration as they do not hold this qualification. For the remaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to meet the registration requirement, each individual will need to undergo a skills assessment process and undertake further training as necessary to meet the required qualification standard to enable registration.
This process will identify the steps required to improve the skills, quality and safety of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner workforce, improve public safety, and reduce fragmentation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker workforce.
Contacts
Pat Maher
Program Manager, Workforce Innovation and Reform
Tel: (08) 8409 4564
Email: Pat.Maher@hwa.gov.au
Related documents and links
Growing Our Future: Final Report of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker project
