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New agency must tackle nursing shortage, says union.
The new National Workforce and Productivity Agency will provide a pathway to help address Australia's critical shortage of nurses, the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) has said.
Minister for Training and Skills, Senator Chris Evans, has announced that the workforce agency will open ahead of schedule in an effort to find solutions to the country's shortage of skilled workers.
"We commend the government on its decision to fast-track the opening of the National Workforce and Productivity Agency," said ANF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas.
"We are now calling on the agency to seriously examine one area of the country's workforces experiencing a massive skills shortage and that's nursing and midwifery.
Thomas said the minister has asked that industry provide advice to ensure training funds are going to the right places.
"We must also consider further ways to encourage nurses to come back to the workforce, and overcome workloads, staffing levels and wages issues" Thomas said.
The development of a centrally funded and coordinated model for the funding of new graduate employment could be considered.
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