On 13 March 2018, the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) announced that it was establishing an Aged Services Industry Reference Committee (IRC) to strengthen industry leadership in education and training for the aged care sector.
The Aged Services IRC will assist in responding to findings from the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce, with a focus on a range of strategic actions to grow and sustain an agile and enabled aged services workforce that can provide safe and quality care to older Australians in a variety of settings. This includes ensuring that the national training system and higher education can address both current and future competencies and skill requirements for new workers entering the sector and existing staff needing to upskill.
The Aged Services IRC is responsible for:
- reforming national training package qualifications and skill sets needed by the aged services industry;
- examining new approaches to career structuring and progression in the sector, and the education pathways needed to support these;
- scoping opportunities for collaboration across vocational education and training (VET), higher education and a range of industry sectors to tackle the challenges of an ageing society; and
- working with other IRCs which have an interest in qualifications relevant to the aged services sector to ensure industry needs are considered and met.
Given the high-level of interest and engagement, and the complexity of the reforms to be progressed, the IRC will establish a number of 'specific interest' advisory committees to provide high-level strategic and policy advice to support its work. See below for more details.
Further information about the role of IRCs and how they operate can be found in the IRC Operating Framework.
Membership and Structure
| Category |
Organisation or area of expertise |
Member |
State/ Territory |
Skills and competencies/
profession based organisations
|
Australian Association of Gerontology |
Associate Professor Christine Stirling
(University of Tasmania) |
TAS |
| Australian College of Nursing |
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward |
ACT |
Royal Australian College of General
Practitioners (RACGP) |
Dr Denise Ruth |
VIC |
Allied Health Professionals
Australia (AHPA) |
Mr Tim Henwood (Southern Cross
Care) |
SA |
| Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) |
Ms Anita Volket |
VIC |
| Palliative Care Australia |
Professor Patsy Yates (Queensland
University of Technology) |
QLD |
| Dementia Australia |
Dr David Sykes (Centre for
Dementia Learning) |
VIC |
| Mental Health expertise |
Professor Kim Ryan (Australian
College of Mental Health Nurses) |
ACT |
| Assistive Technologies expertise |
Ms Robyn Chapman (Assistive
Technology Australia) |
NSW |
| COTA Australia |
Mr Ian Yates |
ACT |
| Carers Australia |
Ms Jayne Ryan |
QLD |
Employer representatives and
peak bodies |
Leading Aged Services Australia
(LASA) |
Mr Ian Hardy AM (Helping Hand
Aged Care) |
SA |
Aged and Community Services
Australia (ACSA) |
Mr Mark Sewell (Warrigal Care) |
NSW |
| Aged Care Guild |
Mr Ross Johnston (Regis Aged Care) |
VIC |
Representative from Industry Accord
on the remote aged care workforce |
Mr Chris Hall AM (Juniper) |
WA |
Independent/ aligned aged care
services provider |
Ms Sonya Smart (Villa Maria
Catholic Homes) |
VIC |
| Employee representatives |
Australian Nursing and Midwifery
Foundation (ANMF) |
Mr Robert Bonner |
SA |
| United Voice |
Ms Melissa Coad |
NSW |
| Health Services Union (HSU) |
Mr Rob Sheey |
NSW |
| Education and training |
Universities Australia |
Ms Rachel Yates |
ACT |
| TAFE Directors Australia |
Ms Mish Eatman (Swinburne
University) |
VIC |
Aged Services Advisory Committees
The following ‘specific interest’ advisory committees will be established to support the work of the Aged Services IRC by providing high-level strategic and policy advice. Each committee will comprise 6-8 members, with both allocated and open positions.
SkillsIQ is managing the nominations for these committees. For more information, including registering your interest in participating in an advisory committee, please fill in your details by completing this online form.
| Advisory Committee |
Details |
| Consumer Needs and Expectations |
Consumer advocacy groups and individuals. |
| Residential Care |
Peaks, associations, others with a focus on acute (hospital) and/or residential care,
industry/employer representatives; may also include food services representatives. |
| Home Care and Community Care |
Peaks, associations, others with a focus on home care and community care,
industry/employer representatives. |
| Indigenous and Remote Services |
Employers, employees and other stakeholders representing Indigenous and
remote interests. |
| Diversity and Inclusion |
Employers, employees and other stakeholders representing culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD); lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI);
disability; homeless and disadvantaged; and other diversity group interests.
|
| Dementia |
Peaks, associations, industry/employers, others with a focus on dementia. |
| Palliative Care |
Peaks, associations, industry/employers, others with a focus on palliative care. |
| Mental Health |
Peaks, associations, industry/employers, others with a focus on mental health. |
| Pathways and Tertiary Education |
Registered training organisations (including peak bodies), universities,
others as appropriate. |
Nutrition and the Mealtime
Experience |
Peaks, associations, industry/employers, others with a focus on the nutritional
needs of older Australians. |