In the UK, health and social care is currently a contentious topic, with a recruitment crisis threatening to cripple the industry. While Australia faces a similar staffing crisis in this fast-growing sector, they’re also adopting some unique innovations from which we can learn. On a recent virtual study trip to Australia, Edge spoke to Rob Campbell, Operations Manager at Connect ‘n’ Grow, a registered training organisation that is aiming to address the country’s health and social care skills shortage.
The Australian VET system
In recent years, Australia has seen a big push to standardise and improve VET provision in high schools, partially via the Australian Qualifications Framework. While there are regional differences in the country’s VET system, one staple is that all high school students are offered an opportunity to complete a government-funded Certificate II qualification on a vocational topic of their choosing.
Certificate II qualifications aim to provide students with insights into their chosen industry sector. After completion, students can also progress to Certificate III, equipping them with the necessary skills to land a job. This can also provide them with some of the points they need to pursue a higher education qualification. One flaw with the points system, however, is that those who wish to go on to HE often choose subjects like higher maths or science over vocational qualifications, which do not provide enough points high-level degrees in areas like medicine. Nevertheless, the strength of Australia’s VET provision in schools is enviable.
Introducing Connect ‘n’ Grow
Based in Queensland, Connect ‘n’ Grow (CNG) is one of the thousands of Australian registered training organisations offering vocational training in schools. Via school partners, CNG delivers health and community service training to over 3,000 16-to-17-year-olds in Queensland alone, working especially closely with underprivileged and indigenous communities. They aim to introduce learners to the breadth of health and social care careers available to them and offer specialised training – including a work placement – to those who wish to take things further.
CNG’s qualifications complement students’ academic studies with hands-on training. Conventional learning content – slides, quizzes and training aids – is available via their learning management system. However, the primary focus is on face-to-face training, with hands-on practicals that appeal to young people’s diverse learning styles, providing them with real-world experiences to develop industry skills. Due to the broader push to embed VET in Australia’s high schools, many already have the simulated hospital and laboratory environments needed to streamline the delivery of this practical training.
CNG employs a team of health experts, age care workers, nurses, and other industry professionals. Their role is to deliver training directly to students and to upskill school staff to deliver it on CNG’s behalf. One challenge that Australia faces, much like in the UK, is finding suitable industry recruits. CNG has navigated this issue by providing trainer 'cadetships'. This involves mentoring industry professionals throughout their training. While promoting a supportive and nurturing culture may seem straightforward, it has proven an effective way of managing training provision in this fast-growing sector.
Industry engagement and work placements
CNG’s Certificate II units cover more general health topics, ranging from infection control to patient transport and record management. However, students who are particularly keen to pursue a health and social care career can also undertake a Certificate III qualification. These comprise of specialist units on topics such as operating theatre tech or disability care. Focusing on specific tasks, these ‘nano-qualifications’ can be compiled in various constellations to help learners upskill for whatever they wish to go on to do.
Crucially, Certificate III qualifications also include mandatory work placements. For example, to complete a Level-3 Assistant in Nursing qualification, learners must complete an 80-hour work placement in a healthcare setting. By the time they graduate high school, students have the necessary skills to secure a job.
To ensure these qualifications meet industry needs, CNG also has an industry engagement team. Attending conferences and events, their role is to build partnerships with clinics, GPs, age care facilities and hospitals. These connections into industry provide a direct pathway for feedback and improve the chances of CNG securing necessary work placements for their learners (although, much like in the UK, this does pose challenges, especially post-pandemic.)
Balancing specialist training with statutory requirements
With training standards across Australia set by the federal Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), all of CNG’s training must also be VET compliant. Fortunately, individual training organisations have the scope to develop their own industry-informed content within certain boundaries. At Certificate II, for example, there are 12 units. These include six core units that cannot change. However, as long as they meet particular requirements, the other six can be adapted as necessary. For example, to demonstrate a student’s ability to communicate with patients, a unit can use whatever means is most relevant to the topic, e.g. mock health assessments or another form of patient evaluation.
As the UK seeks fresh ways to resolve the recruitment crisis in health and social care, we can find plenty of inspiration in Australia’s innovative approaches to real-world learning. Find out more about Edge’s wider work at www.edge.co.uk