Indigenous people encouraged to work in aged care

The Minister for Employment Participation, Brendan O’Connor, today announced a project to encourage Cape York Indigenous people to join the aged care workforce.

During a visit to Salvin Park Nursing Home in Brisbane’s Carina Heights, Mr O’Connor launched the Blue Care Cape York Employment Facilitation Project.

The Australian Government has provided Blue Care with $100,000 to appoint a regional Indigenous employment coordinator in Cairns to work with local communities in Cape York.

The aim is to develop an Aged Care Indigenous Employment strategy.

"The strategy will have a particular focus on training opportunities for people who want to work in the aged care and associated health sectors," Mr O’Connor said.

"There will be opportunities in aged care, disability work, community development, horticulture, carpentry, business management, asset management, hospitality and allied health.

"Aged care and associated services are growing, and the Australian Government wants Indigenous Australians to share in the employment opportunities that will flow from that."

"This project will assist in raising employment levels in Cape York, and communities will benefit from the lasting effects of the strategy," said Federal Member for Leichhardt, Mr Jim Turnour.

Blue Care is the largest provider of aged care services nationally. It has more than 9500 staff located across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

In 2006 Blue Care became a signatory of the Government’s Corporate Leaders for Indigenous Employment Project.

Blue Care has been nationally recognised as a leader in the employment of Indigenous staff in the aged care industry after increasing its Indigenous staff numbers in Queensland from eight to 100 in just seven months last year.

"Blue Care has made a substantial contribution to successfully supporting Indigenous jobseekers to find and retain employment within their organisation," Mr O’Connor said.