According to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), Western Australia is racing towards a shortage of more than 11,000 aged care and disability workers by 2030, but a new MercyCare program is set to tap into the skills of refugees and migrants to fill critical roles while creating life-changing opportunities for participants.
Launched this week, Connect to Caring is the first program in Australia to address barriers to employment within the Aged Care and Disability sector.
The program achieves this through targeted and tailored wrap around support while creating pathways to quality training and sustainable employment opportunities, all designed specifically for people from refugee and culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) background.
With funding for a three-year pilot from The Ian Potter Foundation (as well as a co-contribution investment from MercyCare), the program will train and support participants into jobs in aged care and disability support, contributing 2% of WA’s projected workforce shortfall while boosting the local economy through ongoing sustainable employment for participants.
MercyCare’s Manager Multicultural Support Services – North, Jacqui Whelan, said Connect to Caring is about more than filling workforce gaps.
“The program gives WA’s care sector a vital injection of skilled, compassionate workers, while providing new arrivals and those struggling to get employment in the sector with a pathway to secure employment, independence and belonging by addressing the barriers to employment over time.
“As our funding is for three years, this gives us a real opportunity to support people longer term on their employment journey” she said.
“It’s a win for our economy, for our communities and for the people receiving care.”
While nearly one in three aged care workers nationally were born overseas, people from refugee backgrounds and newly arrived migrants still face formidable barriers, from language and transport challenges to the need for local qualifications and work experience.
Connect to Caring removes these roadblocks by providing:
- Accredited training in aged care and disability support
- Volunteer and work placement opportunities with WA care providers
- Wrap-around employment specific case management support to overcome practical obstacles to employment
- Workshops to build job-ready confidence
- Real connections to employers in the sector
MercyCare hopes to see many success stories, like that of Saron who migrated to Australia from Sudan in 2022 and was unable to find employment in Perth.
Originally from Eritrea, she spent much of her life in Sudan having fled Eritrea due to the ongoing conflict there.
However, despite her hopes upon arriving in Australia, she found herself locked out of WA’s workforce.
Determined not to give up, Saron pursued a qualification in Cert III in Allied Health with the dream of working in Disability Support. However, following her placement she found herself with a qualification, but unable to secure employment.
Saron said that without MercyCare she would have never been able to enter the workforce.
Saron commenced working with MercyCare Cleaning Services, a pilot social enterprise initiative that supports newly arrived migrants with employment in cleaning services to learn on the job skills for employability in Australia, to build an understanding of Australian workplace culture.
While in this program, Saron was referred to Connect to Caring for additional support.
“My employment journey with MercyCare began in cleaning which has helped me build strong habits of responsibility, reliability, and attention to detail.
“Working within MercyCare has also given me confidence and experience in being part of a caring community. Now, I am excited to take the next step by moving into support work and disability care, where I can continue to grow and make a positive difference in people’s lives.”
“When we support someone into meaningful work, we strengthen their family, boost local spending and enrich our workforce with cultural understanding and empathy,” said Ms Whelan.
“Our participants want to give back to the community that welcomed them, and the care sector desperately needs what they bring.”
Dr Alberto Furlan, Community Wellbeing Senior Program Manager at The Ian Potter Foundation, said The Connect to Caring program aligns perfectly with its objective to fund initiatives that secure employment pathways for vulnerable or marginalised individuals.
“By devising a fully integrated training and employment pathways program, MercyCare will assist participants in filling ‘in-house’ jobs.
“This initiative demonstrates true foresight, connecting a willing but disadvantaged workforce to a sector with an increasing labour demand,” he said.
FAST FACTS
- WA will need 11,000 additional aged and disability care workers by 2030
- Connect to Caring will support 150-225 participants from refugee and CaLD backgrounds into the care workforce over three years
- Participants can apply from anywhere in the Perth metropolitan area
- Wrap-around supports address access issues such as navigating the childcare system, transportation barriers language assistance, work placements and job-readiness workshops
- Funded for a three-year pilot period by The Ian Potter Foundation
For more information or to apply for the program visit the Connect to Caring page.
Contact:
Heloisa Williams, Connect to Caring Project Officer, hwilliams@mercycare.com.au
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