Building a resilient and sustainable workforce for the future
The community services sector plays an essential role in enabling individuals and communities to reach their full potential. The sector is experiencing increasing challenges in attracting and retaining workers, which will be compounded as the demand on the sector grows, driven by an ageing Australian population and the demand for high quality services. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified critical systemic failures, demanding immediate action on working conditions, and quality of care.
Against this background, Anglicare Southern Queensland partnered with UQ's Centre for Policy Futures to understand the barriers and enablers of a sustainable workforce. Using a mixed methods approach, this research focused on aged care and youth worker roles. While a dominant perception of limited career prospects, low pay and low status deter some people from joining the sector, the opportunity to help others was identified as a point of attraction. To further support attraction to the sector, the study highlights the enduring importance of job security over other aspects (e.g., pay, flexibility, leave arrangements). Job security is key not only for workforce attraction but also to increase the representation of men in this highly feminised industry.
Join us as we share research-informed approaches to address current workforce challenges and highlight how practice and advocacy efforts across Anglicare and the community sector can support a more diverse and sustainable workforce into the future.
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About In Conversation Webinar Series
Our "In Conversation" webinar series will feature engaging discussions with CPF researchers, visiting experts, and collaborators on the most pressing and topical issues of our time. Webinars will be held throughout 2025.
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