The Australian Government has announced a $21.5 million investment in scholarships aimed at strengthening the aged care workforce and supporting nurses to take on advanced roles.
The Aged Care Nursing Scholarships Program will offer more than 1,000 scholarships to aged care workers and nurses to help them gain formal qualifications, ranging from a Certificate III to a Masters degree. Training will also be available in specialist areas such as palliative care, dementia care, infection prevention and clinical leadership.
Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae, said the initiative is central to the government’s broader reforms.
“Workers are at the frontline of our government’s aged care reforms – and giving them the development opportunities they need to build meaningful careers will help us deliver better care to every older Australian,” Mr Rae said.
“These scholarships will attract more nurses and aged care workers to the sector and help those already working to build on their skills and deliver the world-class care older people deserve.”
The program, which will be delivered by the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners until June 2027, includes guaranteed places for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants.
Rae said the initiative builds on the government’s existing reforms, including new staffing standards.
“Thanks to Labor’s reforms, there is now a registered nurse onsite in aged care more than 99% of the time – programs like these will help us deliver even more care for even more older Australians,” he said.
Leanne Boase, Managing Director of Grants and Scholarship Programs at the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners, said the program is also about raising the profile of aged care careers.
“We look forward to raising awareness of the roles of aged care workers and nurses, while supporting them to aspire to more advanced clinical roles and career paths to provide more advanced and complex care for older Australians,” she said.
“Programs like these not only provide scholarships for study, they can promote awareness and advancement, ultimately leading to better care.”
Applications for the scholarships are now open through the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners website.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
