Can an aged care ‘passport’ cut training costs?

A new program allowing aged care workers to carry proof of previously completed training may save providers time and money.

Currently, aged care workers must finish up to 30 government modules online to demonstrate they've understood quality and safety standards.

Yet, when somebody takes up a new employer, they often can't produce evidence they've done the mandatory training.

As a result, the sector spends over $8 million yearly on repeat training for new employees, according to Ausmed Education, a company that designs educational software.

"It's costing a provider at least $120 per employee going through an introduction, which can take up to a couple of days that they would have otherwise spent working or learning," Ausmed's marketing chief Will Egan said.

"We hope this passport frees up time that can go towards more relevant education for these employees."

The 'Aged Care Industry Passport' is an online certificate for the aged care workforce demonstrating they've done the eight core modules necessary to work in the sector.

After a worker completes eight training items, Ausmed issues a digital certificate that people can use as proof when changing employers.

The program was the brainchild of Samantha Hewitt from McKenzie Aged Care Group, who noticed employees often redo the compulsory training because they can't prove they'd done them at their previous job.

She joined forces with Ausmed Education and aged care providers St Basil's and Juniper to create the passport over three months.

After its launch on the 12th of October, they have since signed up over forty providers and have at least 5,000 aged care workers across Australia using the certificate.

Egan said considering the sector's high resignation rate of 30 to 60 per cent a year, the passport may free up time for workers and employers by avoiding repeat training.

"When you have a large part of your staff turning over every year, doing the same training at another employer, you're losing valuable time and money," he said.

"Especially in an industry where budgets are already really tight."

Their efforts were recognised last week by innovAGEING, which hosts annual awards to celebrate the achievements made in the industry by organisations and workers.

The winners will be announced on the 24th of November. 

Egan stresses that these initiatives need to happen to improve the sector's quality and sustainability.

"If people believe that they can change aged care – and they want to – they have to get behind it and make it work," he said.

"There's a lot of quiet achievers in aged care doing wonderful things, and Sammantha Hewitt is one of them."

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