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This study examines how the vocational education and training (VET) sector can respond to skill shortages in the health sector. The study focuses largely on VET-trained workers in the health industry, such as enrolled nurses, nursing assistants, personal care assistants, allied health assistants and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers.
- Responsibility for addressing skills shortages should be jointly shared between the health sector, education and training organisations and government, with industry and employers taking a proactive role. A partnership approach is necessary to provide the commitment and breadth of human, infrastructure and financial resources necessary for addressing skills shortages sustainably.
- Industry-driven approaches are a recurring characteristic of well-developed and effective models for addressing skills shortages.
- Innovative models first consider the tasks involved in the skills shortage, identify the requisite competencies, then design the training and/or redesign the job.
- Targeted training appears to be most effective in meeting skills shortages. Training components of programs within organisations should be complemented by a focus on retention of workers, increased job satisfaction and better career paths.
- There needs to be a mix of short-term solutions (training only) and medium-to-longer-term solutions (job redesign, holistic approaches).
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