ACCPA has launched a new campaign aimed at attracting new workers into aged care and keeping those already in the sector, highlighting the essential workforce requirements to care for older Australians.
Australia’s ageing population is growing, and so is the demand for aged care workers. The Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) is addressing the workforce shortage in the aged care sector by launching the Discovering Aged Care Careers (DACC) campaign that aims to attract new workers and retain existing ones.
The DACC campaign features a series of short videos that showcase career pathways and employment opportunities in aged care, with successful professionals in the aged care sector sharing their personal and professional stories. The ACCPA hopes the campaign will encourage more people to explore a career in aged care and make the sector an employer of choice.
ACCPA CEO Tom Symondson said the campaign addresses some of the common misconceptions and myths about working in aged care. He added that with the number of people requiring aged care set to double by 2050, the sector needs to encourage more workers to explore a career in aged care.
“There is a critical shortage of RNs in aged care, something which has been well documented since before the pandemic, so every chance we get we want to encourage new entrants.
“We want to show through the DACC campaign that aged care can be an enormously rewarding career with many opportunities to work in different settings. ACCPA, along with aged care providers, is working to make the aged care sector an employer of choice,” Sydmon said.
The videos highlight opportunities for career longevity and upskilling, and the campaign aims to encourage current and prospective workers to learn about employment opportunities and career pathways, irrespective of gender, age, employment status or locality.
It will be supported by social media marketing in the form of Facebook and YouTube advertisements, as well as Google Advertisements.
The campaign is a major step towards promoting aged care careers and is in line with ACCPA’s workforce attraction and retention strategies. The ACCPA hopes that this campaign will break down barriers and stereotypes associated with jobs and careers within the aged care sector and offer all Australians the opportunity to build a meaningful career while making a positive impact on the lives of others.
The ACCPA’s Workforce Hub provides further information on career options, training and education, and a library of resources for those interested in a career in aged care.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
