Workforce & Training
Shaping our futures:
Building the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Workforce
What we do
NACCHO’s Workforce and Training program is designed to enhance the capacity and capability of Aboriginal Community Controlled Registered Training Organisations (ACCRTOs) to address the evolving needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector. These organisations play a vital role in supporting the delivery of culturally safe healthcare by ensuring a skilled and qualified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce.
Since the early 1970s, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) have been at the forefront of Closing the Gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians. Recognised as global best practice, ACCHOs embody self-determination by providing culturally safe, holistic, and comprehensive primary healthcare that is designed and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for their communities.
NACCHO’s Core Services and Outcomes Framework (CSOF) underpins these efforts, embedding culture at the heart of service delivery and recognising the importance of social, cultural, historical, and economic determinants of health. Relationships are key to this framework, serving as the cornerstone of a culturally safe healthcare system.
Our Workforce and Training program focuses on:
- Increasing ACCRTOs’ capacity to meet sector training requirements.
- Collecting and maintaining relevant workforce data.
- Expanding knowledge of funding options for ACCRTOs at State and Commonwealth levels.
We work to provide targeted support to ACCRTOs by:
- Facilitating national RTO Community of Practice and RTO Connection meetings to foster collaboration.
- Advocating for improved funding and resources at the Commonwealth and State levels.
These initiatives are essential to strengthening workforce training and supporting the sustainability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services across Australia.
Our initiatives
Recent national strategies, including the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031 and the Health Workforce Plan, have highlighted the urgent need to expand the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. To address this, we are aligning our efforts with projected growth in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector, which requires approximately 250,000 skilled workers by 2025.
Given the unique health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, we aim to add over 8,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers by 2025. This is particularly critical as demand for skilled workers continues to grow due to high rates of chronic diseases, mental health challenges, alcohol and other drugs, cancer, blood borne viruses, sexually transmissible infections, and emerging concerns in ageing and disability services.
The ACCHO sector is currently facing a primary healthcare workforce crisis, with critical shortages in doctors, nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs), and Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs). Workforce data shows a decrease in full-time equivalent (FTE) clinical staff per 1,000 population by 20-30%, with a 50% increase in unfilled positions since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Our program recognises the importance of building a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce, including Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) and Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs), who are central to the multidisciplinary ACCHO model of care. These professionals not only contribute to clinical practice and health promotion but also play a crucial role in illness prevention and continuity of care, which are at the heart of the ACCHO holistic model.
Our approach
The National Partnership Agreement is central to our workforce development efforts, guiding our collaborations with Aboriginal Community Controlled Registered Training Organisations (ACCRTOs) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). These partnerships ensure that the specific needs of the sector are met, and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are amplified.
Our approach is rooted in strategic collaboration, working closely with other Aboriginal peak bodies and government stakeholders to ensure our efforts reflect the needs of the community. By leveraging grounded research and evidence-based advocacy, we systematically develop the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce in alignment with national health strategies.
A greater investment in this workforce is essential for economic participation and improving health and wellbeing outcomes. Expanding the ACCHO workforce is particularly crucial in regional, rural, and remote areas, where both high unemployment and significant workforce shortages exist. A stronger workforce in these areas presents a unique opportunity for local employment and ensures continuity of culturally safe care.
Our impact
Our work directly supports the expansion of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. The ACCHO sector is the third largest employer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the country, with approximately 7,000 staff, 54% of whom identify as Indigenous. By ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices lead the conversation on workforce development, we are making a tangible impact in the healthcare sector, working toward equitable representation and addressing workforce shortages.
Shortages in the allied health workforce are becoming more critical as community-controlled health services expand into areas like aged care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB), and mental health services. Addressing these challenges is vital to preserving the integrity of the ACCHO model of care and continuing to achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Through national RTO Community of Practice meetings and strategic partnerships with Commonwealth and State governments, we advocate for increased funding and targeted workforce development initiatives to meet growing demands. Our goal is to attract, train, and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, ensuring a sustainable and culturally safe workforce for the future.
National workforce summit
The National Workforce Summit is a key event for addressing workforce challenges and expanding the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. Representatives from ACCHOs, Aboriginal peak bodies, and key stakeholders will collaborate to find national solutions for building a sustainable and culturally safe workforce.
The inaugural summit was launched by NACCHO and the Human Services Skills Organisation in 2023. The event focused on identifying solutions for workforce shortages in primary healthcare, disability, aged care, allied health, and social and emotional wellbeing.
Read more: National Workforce Summit 2023 Report
First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program
NACCHO’s First Nations Health Worker Traineeship (FNHWT) Program is designed to address the critical shortage of qualified Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) and Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs) within the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) sector. This program is essential for growing a skilled, job-ready workforce that can provide culturally safe and holistic health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
ACCHO locations
NACCHO oversees a network of 146 members, each running Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) across urban, regional, and remote Australia. These ACCHOs range from large facilities with multiple healthcare professionals providing comprehensive services to smaller centres focused on preventive care and health education, primarily delivered by Aboriginal Health Workers and nurses.
NACCHO’s Aged Care programs are delivered in selected locations across its network, ensuring culturally appropriate care reaches Elders and older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in diverse urban, regional, and remote communities.
Committees
Registered Training Organisation Community of Practice
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Working Group
Expert Advisory Group
Contact
If you have any questions, resource ideas or would like to share your own resources, please email: workforcetrainingteam@naccho.org.au.
