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<title>UTas ePrints - Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training</title>
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<meta content="Kilpatrick, Sue" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Johns, Susan" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Millar, Pat" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Le, Quynh" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Routley, Georgie" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Sue.Kilpatrick@utas.edu.au" name="eprints.creators_id" />
<meta content="Susan.Johns@utas.edu.au" name="eprints.creators_id" />
<meta content="Patricia.Millar@utas.edu.au" name="eprints.creators_id" />
<meta content="Quynh.Le@utas.edu.au" name="eprints.creators_id" />
<meta content="Georgina.Earles@utas.edu.au" name="eprints.creators_id" />
<meta content="article" name="eprints.type" />
<meta content="2007-07-13" name="eprints.datestamp" />
<meta content="2008-01-08 15:30:00" name="eprints.lastmod" />
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<meta content="Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training" name="eprints.title" />
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<meta content="321299" name="eprints.subjects" />
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<meta content="aged care, health workforce, job redesign, skill ecosystem, skills shortages, training" name="eprints.keywords" />
<meta content="Suggested citation: Kilpatrick SI, Johns SS, Millar P, Le Q, Routley G. Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training. Rural and Remote Health 7 (online), 2007: 623.
First published in the journal, Rural and Remote Health & available from: http://www.rrh.org.au.
DEST CODES - Theme Area: Population and Health (PH)
FOR/RFCD: Education and Extension (309902)
SEO: Continuing education (749902)
TOR: Applied Research (AR)
" name="eprints.note" />
<meta content="Introduction: This article reports findings of a project funded by the Australian National Council for Vocational Education Research. The project explores solutions to current and projected skills shortages within the health and community services sector, from a vocational education and training perspective. Its purpose is to locate, analyse and disseminate information about innovative models of health training and service delivery that have been developed in response to skill shortages.
Methods: The article begins with a brief overview of Australian statistics and literature on the structure of the national health workforce and perceived skill shortages. The impact of location (state and rurality), demographics of the workforce, and other relevant factors, on health skill shortages is examined. Drawing on a synthesis of the Australian and international literature on innovative and effective models for addressing health skill shortages and nominations by key stakeholders within the health sector, over 70 models were identified. The models represent a mixture of innovative service delivery models and training solutions from Australia, as well as international examples that could be transposed to the Australian context. They include the skill ecosystem approach facilitated by the Australian National Training Authority Skill Ecosystem Project. Models were selected to represent diversity in terms of the nature of skill shortage addressed, barriers overcome in development of the model, healthcare specialisations, and different customer groups.
Results: Key barriers to the development of innovative solutions to skills shortages identified were: policy that is not sufficiently flexible to accommodate changing workplace needs; unwillingness to risk take in order to develop new models; delays in gaining endorsement/accreditation; current vocational education and training (VET) monitoring and reporting systems; issues related to working in partnership, including different cultures, ways of operating, priorities and timelines; workplace culture that is resistant to change; and organisational boundaries. For training-only models, additional barriers were: technology; low educational levels of trainees; lack of health professionals to provide training and/or supervision; and cost of training. Key enhancers for the development of models were identified as: commitment by all partners and co-location of partners; or effective communication channels. Key enhancers for model effectiveness were: first considering work tasks, competencies and job (re)design; high profile of the model within the community; community-based models; cultural fit; and evidence of direct link between skills development and employment, for example VET trained aged care workers upskilling for other health jobs. For training only models, additional enhancers were flexibility of partners in accommodating needs of trainees; low training costs; experienced clinical supervisors; and the provision of professional development to trainers. Conclusions: There needs to be a balance between short-term solutions to current skill shortages (training only), and medium to longer term solutions (job redesign, holistic approaches) that also address projected skills shortages. Models that focus on addressing skills shortages in aged care can provide a broad pathway to careers in health. Characteristics of models likely to be effective in addressing skill shortages are: responsibility for addressing skills shortage is shared between the health sector, education and training organisations and government, with employers taking a proactive role; the training component is complemented by a focus on retention of workers; models are either targeted at existing employees or identify a target group(s) who may not otherwise have considered a career in health.
" name="eprints.abstract" />
<meta content="2007-02-01" name="eprints.date" />
<meta content="published" name="eprints.date_type" />
<meta content="The International Electronic Journal of Rural and Remote Health Research, Education, Practice and Policy" name="eprints.publication" />
<meta content="7" name="eprints.volume" />
<meta content="623" name="eprints.number" />
<meta content="online" name="eprints.pagerange" />
<meta content="UNSPECIFIED" name="eprints.thesis_type" />
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<meta content="http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_623.pdf" name="eprints.official_url" />
<meta content="1. DEWR (Department of Employment and Workplace Relations). DEWR job outlook, February 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2005 from web site: http://www.workplace.gov.au/workplace/Category/Publications/LabourMarketAnalysis/NationalSkillsShortageList2004.htm
2. DEWR (Department of Employment and Workplace Relations). Skills in demand lists: States and Territories 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2005 from web site http://www.workplace.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/577827A0-D866-46A3-B236-896C38B6ED0E/0/SkillsInDemandByStateOct2005.pdf
3. Productivity Commission. AustraliaÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs health workforce. Research Report. Canberra; 2005.
4. ANTA (Australian National Training Authority). ANTA national skill ecosystem project: The role of VET providers in delivering improved outcomes across skill networks. Phase 2 Final Report. ANTA/NSW Department of Education and Training; 2005.
5. Goodale B & Lin I. Midwest Murchison region therapy assistant project (2003-2004) final report. WA Country Health Service. Government of Western Australia; 2005.
6. Cunliffe A. First steps in a journey. Paper presented at the National Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) Conference; 2004.
7. AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). Health and Community Services labour force 2001. AIHW Cat. no. HWL 27 and ABS Cat. no. 8936.0. Canberra: AIHW (National Health Labour Force Series no. 27); 2003.
8. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Census of population and housing. 2001. Retrieved 18 October 2005 from web site: http://www.abs.gov.au
9. McQuaid R, Bond S & Robertson P. Gender stereotyping in career choice. Research report from Employment Research Institute. 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2005 from web site: http://www.napier.ac.uk/depts/eri/research/genderstereo.htm
10. Productivity Commission. AustraliaÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs health workforce. Research Report. Canberra; 2005, p. xxvii.
11. ABS. Job Vacancies. 2005. Cat. 6354.0. Retrieved 18 October from web site: http://www.abs.gov.au
12. CSHISC (Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council). Report May 2005. Retrieved 17 October 2005 from web site: http://www.cshisc.com.au/docs/upload/CSHIndustrySkillsReport-FINAL160505.pdf
13. ABS. Job growth and replacement needs in nursing occupations. 2000. Cited in DEST 2001. Retrieved 18 October 2005 from web site: http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip01_18/5.htm#2_6
14. DEST (Department of Education, Science and Training). Job growth and replacement needs in nursing occupations. 2001. Retrieved 18 October 2005 from web site: http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip01_18/5.htm#2_6
15. UK Department of Health. Introduction to the skills escalator. NHS; 2005. Retrieved 14 November 2005 from web site http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HumanResourcesAndTraining/ModelEmployee/SkillsEscalatorArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4055527&chk=ZI7IKI
16. Chapman S, Showstack J, Morrison E, Franks P, Woo L & OÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂNeil E. Allied Health Workforce: Innovations for the 21st century. San Francisco: University of California; 2004.
17. Shorter Oxford Dictionary, 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1993.
18. Patton, M. Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; 2002.
19. Johnson, B, Christensen, L. Educational Research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches, Research Ed., 2nd ed. Boston: Pearson; 2004.
20. Queensland Community Services and Health Industries Training Council Inc. Aged Care Skills Formation Strategy 2005 Project Plan. Progress Report ÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàJuly 2005.
21. Department of Employment and Training. Skills Formation Strategies CD Rom. Queensland Government; n.d.
22. DEST (Department of Education, Science and Training). Engaging the untapped workforce: Training solutions for the community services and health industry. DEST/Community Services and Health Training Australia Ltd; 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2005 from web site http://www.cshisc.com.au/load_page.asp?ID=36
23. Schwab J. VET-in-schools for indigenous students: Success through ÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂCultural FitÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ; n.d. Retrieved 12 December 2005 from http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/Research/fellowship/docs/Jerry_Schwab/Jerry_Schwab.pdf
24. Martin K & Cameron K. Looking for a seachange? Presentation at Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council Inaugural Conference, Making a Difference, 7 and 8 June, 2005; Australian Technology Park, Sydney. Retrieved 12 January 2006 from http://www.cshisc.com.au/docs/upload/Post-ConfPack2005-GuidetoSpeakersandPresns.pdf
25. Goldberger S. From the entry level to licensed practical nurse: Four case studies of career ladders in health care, Jobs for the Future. (Part of a series of Reports on Advancement for Low-Wage Workers). Boston, MA; 2005.
26. Jones M & Heinric K. An innovative pathway to increasing the supply of indigenous workers in the CS&H industries. Presentation at Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council Inaugural Conference, Making a Difference, 7 and 8 June, 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2006 from http://www.cshisc.com.au/docs/upload/Post-ConfPack2005-GuidetoSpeakersandPresns.pdf
27. Pashen D, Felton-Busch C, Blackman R & Solomon S. Educational pathways for indigenous students into health careers. Interprofessional Education conference. Vietnam; November 2005.
28. Pacza T, Steele L & Tennant M. Development of oral health training for rural and remote aboriginal health workers. Australian Journal of Rural Health. 2001; 9: 105-110.
" name="eprints.referencetext" />
<meta content="Kilpatrick, Sue and Johns, Susan and Millar, Pat and Le, Quynh and Routley, Georgie (2007) Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training. The International Electronic Journal of Rural and Remote Health Research, Education, Practice and Policy, 7 (623). online." name="eprints.citation" />
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<meta content="Millar, Pat" name="DC.creator" />
<meta content="Le, Quynh" name="DC.creator" />
<meta content="Routley, Georgie" name="DC.creator" />
<meta content="321299 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified" name="DC.subject" />
<meta content="Introduction: This article reports findings of a project funded by the Australian National Council for Vocational Education Research. The project explores solutions to current and projected skills shortages within the health and community services sector, from a vocational education and training perspective. Its purpose is to locate, analyse and disseminate information about innovative models of health training and service delivery that have been developed in response to skill shortages.
Methods: The article begins with a brief overview of Australian statistics and literature on the structure of the national health workforce and perceived skill shortages. The impact of location (state and rurality), demographics of the workforce, and other relevant factors, on health skill shortages is examined. Drawing on a synthesis of the Australian and international literature on innovative and effective models for addressing health skill shortages and nominations by key stakeholders within the health sector, over 70 models were identified. The models represent a mixture of innovative service delivery models and training solutions from Australia, as well as international examples that could be transposed to the Australian context. They include the skill ecosystem approach facilitated by the Australian National Training Authority Skill Ecosystem Project. Models were selected to represent diversity in terms of the nature of skill shortage addressed, barriers overcome in development of the model, healthcare specialisations, and different customer groups.
Results: Key barriers to the development of innovative solutions to skills shortages identified were: policy that is not sufficiently flexible to accommodate changing workplace needs; unwillingness to risk take in order to develop new models; delays in gaining endorsement/accreditation; current vocational education and training (VET) monitoring and reporting systems; issues related to working in partnership, including different cultures, ways of operating, priorities and timelines; workplace culture that is resistant to change; and organisational boundaries. For training-only models, additional barriers were: technology; low educational levels of trainees; lack of health professionals to provide training and/or supervision; and cost of training. Key enhancers for the development of models were identified as: commitment by all partners and co-location of partners; or effective communication channels. Key enhancers for model effectiveness were: first considering work tasks, competencies and job (re)design; high profile of the model within the community; community-based models; cultural fit; and evidence of direct link between skills development and employment, for example VET trained aged care workers upskilling for other health jobs. For training only models, additional enhancers were flexibility of partners in accommodating needs of trainees; low training costs; experienced clinical supervisors; and the provision of professional development to trainers. Conclusions: There needs to be a balance between short-term solutions to current skill shortages (training only), and medium to longer term solutions (job redesign, holistic approaches) that also address projected skills shortages. Models that focus on addressing skills shortages in aged care can provide a broad pathway to careers in health. Characteristics of models likely to be effective in addressing skill shortages are: responsibility for addressing skills shortage is shared between the health sector, education and training organisations and government, with employers taking a proactive role; the training component is complemented by a focus on retention of workers; models are either targeted at existing employees or identify a target group(s) who may not otherwise have considered a career in health.
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<h1 class="ep_tm_pagetitle">Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training</h1>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"><span class="person_name">Kilpatrick, Sue</span> and <span class="person_name">Johns, Susan</span> and <span class="person_name">Millar, Pat</span> and <span class="person_name">Le, Quynh</span> and <span class="person_name">Routley, Georgie</span> (2007) <xhtml:em>Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training.</xhtml:em> The International Electronic Journal of Rural and Remote Health Research, Education, Practice and Policy, 7 (623). online.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"></p><table style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"><tr><td valign="top" style="text-align:center"><a onmouseover="EPJS_ShowPreview( event, 'doc_preview_1750' );" href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1349/1/article_print_623.pdf" onmouseout="EPJS_HidePreview( event, 'doc_preview_1750' );"><img alt="[img]" src="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png" class="ep_doc_icon" border="0" /></a><div class="ep_preview" id="doc_preview_1750"><table><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1349/thumbnails/1/preview.png" class="ep_preview_image" border="0" /><div class="ep_preview_title">Preview</div></td></tr></table></div></td><td valign="top"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1349/1/article_print_623.pdf"><span class="ep_document_citation">PDF</span></a> - Requires a PDF viewer<br />416Kb</td></tr></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block">Official URL: <a href="http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_623.pdf">http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_623.pdf</a></p><div class="not_ep_block"><h2>Abstract</h2><p style="padding-bottom: 16px; text-align: left; margin: 1em auto 0em auto">Introduction: This article reports findings of a project funded by the Australian National Council for Vocational Education Research. The project explores solutions to current and projected skills shortages within the health and community services sector, from a vocational education and training perspective. Its purpose is to locate, analyse and disseminate information about innovative models of health training and service delivery that have been developed in response to skill shortages.
Methods: The article begins with a brief overview of Australian statistics and literature on the structure of the national health workforce and perceived skill shortages. The impact of location (state and rurality), demographics of the workforce, and other relevant factors, on health skill shortages is examined. Drawing on a synthesis of the Australian and international literature on innovative and effective models for addressing health skill shortages and nominations by key stakeholders within the health sector, over 70 models were identified. The models represent a mixture of innovative service delivery models and training solutions from Australia, as well as international examples that could be transposed to the Australian context. They include the skill ecosystem approach facilitated by the Australian National Training Authority Skill Ecosystem Project. Models were selected to represent diversity in terms of the nature of skill shortage addressed, barriers overcome in development of the model, healthcare specialisations, and different customer groups.
Results: Key barriers to the development of innovative solutions to skills shortages identified were: policy that is not sufficiently flexible to accommodate changing workplace needs; unwillingness to risk take in order to develop new models; delays in gaining endorsement/accreditation; current vocational education and training (VET) monitoring and reporting systems; issues related to working in partnership, including different cultures, ways of operating, priorities and timelines; workplace culture that is resistant to change; and organisational boundaries. For training-only models, additional barriers were: technology; low educational levels of trainees; lack of health professionals to provide training and/or supervision; and cost of training. Key enhancers for the development of models were identified as: commitment by all partners and co-location of partners; or effective communication channels. Key enhancers for model effectiveness were: first considering work tasks, competencies and job (re)design; high profile of the model within the community; community-based models; cultural fit; and evidence of direct link between skills development and employment, for example VET trained aged care workers upskilling for other health jobs. For training only models, additional enhancers were flexibility of partners in accommodating needs of trainees; low training costs; experienced clinical supervisors; and the provision of professional development to trainers. Conclusions: There needs to be a balance between short-term solutions to current skill shortages (training only), and medium to longer term solutions (job redesign, holistic approaches) that also address projected skills shortages. Models that focus on addressing skills shortages in aged care can provide a broad pathway to careers in health. Characteristics of models likely to be effective in addressing skill shortages are: responsibility for addressing skills shortage is shared between the health sector, education and training organisations and government, with employers taking a proactive role; the training component is complemented by a focus on retention of workers; models are either targeted at existing employees or identify a target group(s) who may not otherwise have considered a career in health.
</p></div><table style="margin-bottom: 1em" cellpadding="3" class="not_ep_block" border="0"><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Item Type:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">Article</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Additional Information:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">Suggested citation: Kilpatrick SI, Johns SS, Millar P, Le Q, Routley G. Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training. Rural and Remote Health 7 (online), 2007: 623.
First published in the journal, Rural and Remote Health & available from: http://www.rrh.org.au.
DEST CODES - Theme Area: Population and Health (PH)
FOR/RFCD: Education and Extension (309902)
SEO: Continuing education (749902)
TOR: Applied Research (AR)
</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Keywords:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">aged care, health workforce, job redesign, skill ecosystem, skills shortages, training</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Subjects:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/view/subjects/321299.html">320000 Medical and Health Sciences > 321200 Public Health and Health Services > 321299 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified</a></td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">ID Code:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">1349</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Deposited By:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><span class="ep_name_citation"><span class="person_name">Dr Quynh Le</span></span></td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Deposited On:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">13 Jul 2007</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Last Modified:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">09 Jan 2008 02:30</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">ePrint Statistics:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><a target="ePrintStats" href="/es/index.php?action=show_detail_eprint;id=1349;">View statistics for this ePrint</a></td></tr></table><p align="right">Repository Staff Only: <a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::View&eprintid=1349">item control page</a></p>
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