The serious labour shortage within Western Australia’s aged care system is set to be tackled head on as the result of a new jobs portal launched today by the Honourable Peter Collier, Minister for Energy; Training and Workforce Development.
The Aged and Community Services of WA (ACSWA) jobs portal has been developed by the State’s aged care peak body in response to the uniquechallenges faced by the industry in Western Australia – namely an ongoing labour shortage, impacted further by an economy that is tipped to boom once again during 2010.
The portal offers a central base for WA’s aged care organisations to advertise job opportunities, in addition to offering potential candidates a simple method of applying for roles, learning more about the sector and gaining an insight into professional development and training opportunities.
Stephen Kobelke, CEO of ACSWA, says the portal offers a mechanism for sourcing employees from across Australia and also internationally, with further information detailed on the site about WA’s lifestyle, visa requirements, and sponsorship and traineeships throughout the State.
“WA’s aged care sector has a unique set of challenges when it comes to attracting staff,” says Mr Kobelke. “We’re experiencing a major shortage of potential employees in the state as a whole, and particularly in aged care, and on top of that the vastness of our state means that attracting workers to remote areas is even more challenging,” he says.
“As a result ACSWA has been focusing on ways to assist its members attract employees into what is an extremely rewarding, worthwhile and meaningful career path, which includes enormous opportunity for individual growth and career progression.
“We are very pleased with the end result and we think the portal will be an extremely valuable recruitment tool for the sector as a whole.”
The employment portal can be found at - www.agedcarejobs.org.