June 2024
The two qualifications are recognised as critical pre-employment training pathways for the aged care and disability support sector.
Project deliverables include:
- an Implementation Review outlining the impact of any identified issues and barriers to implementing the qualifications, identified best practices and potential strategies and solutions
- a summary of stakeholder consultation consisting of feedback, suggestions and concerns raised during the consultation process
- advice to the Skills Ministers on the review findings and next steps.
The project began by establishing a Project Reference Group comprised of workforce development specialists and other stakeholders. They provided advice on a suitable consultation paper, stakeholder groups and approaches to secure quality feedback and advice.
Project fact sheet
July - September 2024
Targeted interviews and public workshops were conducted in Perth (27/08/24), Whyalla (30/08/24), Canberra (02/09/24), Melbourne (05/09/24), Darwin (10/09/24) and Sydney (17/09/24). These provided valuable perspectives on delivery of the qualifications.
We consulted with diverse stakeholder groups to ensure a range of perspectives. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 26 people, 54 participated in focus groups and 165 attended roundtable workshops. Complementing these face-to-face and virtual activities were the 88 online surveys completed by students and 29 online surveys completed by registered training organisations.
September 2024
Findings from the extensive consultation and desktop research include:
- substantially reduced demand for the CHC43121 Certificate IV in Disability Support since the introduction of the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support as an entry requirement
- a significant disparity between Certificate III and Certificate IV offerings with 586 (98%) providers offering the Certificate III (alone or in combination with Certificate IV) and only 288 (48%) offer the Certificate IV. More providers chose to drop the Certificate IV (52) than the Certificate III (18) from their scope following the updates
- training providers experiencing difficulties in accessing work placements with appropriate supervision and mentoring, especially for home care, regional areas and disability workers (not unique challenges to these qualifications)
- limited uptake of traineeships in these certificates. RTOs and service providers have identified a range of issues that impact trainee delivery and employment but further research is needed to identify potential solutions
- school-based traineeships in aged care provide early exposure to the sector in a supported environment. However, careful implementation is necessary to protect young people from psychosocial hazards and physical risks in care environments, and to ensure the quality of care and support services is maintained
- a lack of flexibility impedes the ability to design elective streams to meet local industry needs and workforce skilling requirements. The electives do not align with the breadth of roles that an individual may take up in the aged care and disability workforce, e.g. community participation, recreational roles
- a recognised gap for some providers delivering qualifications to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students which them to have culturally appropriate models of training and sufficient cultural competence
- remote communities have limited access to training facilities and suitable placement opportunities which significantly affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who face compounding barriers to accessing entry-level training
- increasing interest from people with disability to use their lived experience in the disability sector, however the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support includes physical requirements that may exclude them from taking part in training
- providers have used innovative strategies to deliver the new qualifications including unit clustering to address repetition and streamline assessments, upgrading assessment facilities, including mobile simulation units for regional areas, developing strong employer partnerships to improve placement opportunities, and creating tailored LLN support programs to help diverse learners
- over a quarter of surveyed students encountered barriers to completing their training. Challenges included complexity of the content, the timing of training and ability to attend, hidden costs such as paying for NDIS clearance, police checks and uniforms, finding work placement and meeting the required work placement hours, and potential loss of income in completing work placements exacerbated by current cost of living pressures.
October 2024
A comprehensive final report compiling all findings, analyses and stakeholder feedback, and providing advice on next steps has been submitted to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Feedback from the Project Reference Group, Industry Advisory Committee and other stakeholders helped inform this final report which outlines a number of findings and recommendations.
Report recommendations will be considered by Senior Skills Officials and Skills Ministers in the coming months.
During the consultation phase, we also received valuable insights into the design and content of the 2 qualifications. This input will be considered when the next comprehensive review of the training package is undertaken.