Skills shake-up leaves aged care asking: who’s paying for training now?
What wasn’t highlighted was the fine print: from 1 January, incentive payments for all other priority occupations – including aged, disability and childcare – will be halved.
The Government’s latest apprenticeship shake-up has landed with a thud in the aged care sector – and many providers say it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
On Monday (1 December), Skills Minister Andrew Giles confirmed the extension of the flagship Key Apprenticeship Program, keeping $5,000 employer incentives and $10,000 apprentice payments flowing for priority roles in housing and clean energy.
What wasn’t highlighted was the fine print: from 1 January, incentive payments for all other priority occupations – including aged, disability and childcare – will be halved.
For care sector workers and employers, that means the $5,000 they currently split will now shrink to $2,500. The Government says the shift is about targeting national priorities and follows the Strategic Review of the Incentive System.
But inside aged care, where vacancy rates run high and the sector faces a projected shortfall of 400,000 workers by 2050, the reaction is blunt.
Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson labelled the move “unwelcome” in The Australian, warning reduced incentives will make it harder for providers to fill rosters, meet mandated care minutes and maintain stable services, especially outside metro areas.
Adding to the contradiction is September’s open letter from Aged Care Minister Sam Rae, reminding providers of their obligation to train staff ahead of the new Aged Care Act and to roster paid time for workers to complete it.
Providers already footing the bill for training and backfilling now face higher compliance expectations and lower Federal support for new entrants.
While the Government points to wage rises and free TAFE, the warning is clear: the pipeline could shrink just as reforms demand more skilled workers than ever.
