International students are an important part of the aged care workforce. However, impending visa changes will limit their ability to fill a variety of low-paid - but vital - jobs.
Aged-care providers are urging the federal government to delay slashing work rights for international students, warning it will worsen critical workforce shortages in the flatlining sector without an urgent replacement.
According to aged care network Catholic Health Australia, at least 10 per cent of its workforce are student visa holders, 40 per cent of whom work more than 48 hours a fortnight.CHA aged care director Jason Kara said the industry was juggling severe work shortages while trying to increase staffing to meet upcoming requirements for minutes of care per patient. “CHA has raised the issue of student visa work limits with the government and is working through the issue collaboratively,” Kara said.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said a proportion of those in Australia on student visas were actually in Australia to work rather than study.As Labor rethinks a commitment to 24/7 aged-care nurses in facilities, O’Neil acknowledged last week the workforce crisis couldn’t be fixed without migration, but didn’t put a timeline on a new plan to bring in low-paid workers in collaboration with businesses and unions.
Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes said the workforce crisis in aged care was “clear and present”, citing the impending closure of three facilities in Sydney run by Wesley Mission.
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