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The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has opened scholarships to help boost the aged care workforce.
Last week, scholarship applications for aged care nursing and allied health opened at ACN – a move labelled by ACN as “vital”.
ACN’s chief, Kylie Ward, said the scholarships were necessary to retain the workforce for the future of the ageing population.
“Careers in aged and disability care were in the top three most in-demand occupations according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data released,” Ms Ward said.
“Healthcare professionals play an integral role in providing high-quality care for older people.”
“ACN is proud to administer these scholarships to help build a workforce that can meet the needs of Australia’s ageing population.”
Last month, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells announced that 98 per cent of aged care homes had a registered nurse on-site 24/7.
However, with the recent release of the sixth Intergenerational Report, an ageing and slowing population is set to put a significant strain on the budget in the next 40 years.
Ms Ward said a strong workforce was vital to ensure the aged care industry will thrive and help future older Australians.
“There are 400 Aged Care Scholarships for nurses and personal care workers to complete qualifications.”
“Since their inception, we have nearly 1000 nurses and allied health professionals who have or who have had a scholarship to support their work in aged care.”
The final round of the scholarships will close on 10 October.
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