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Submission 
to the 
Senate Community Affairs References Committee
Inquiry into Nursing

from
Enterprise and Career Education Foundation

Executive Summary
1)	The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF) is the leading peak body in vocational education in schools (VET in Schools). It receives funding from the Commonwealth Government and works nationally to promote and facilitate the growth of vocational and career education. It is currently funding a national project to develop vocational courses in aged care work in high schools.
2)	This submission deals with the following area of the Inquiry: 
Opportunities to improve current arrangements for the education and training of nurses, encompassing enrolled, registered and postgraduate nurses
and with the following term of reference:
Nurse education and training to meet future labour force needs

3)	The submission describes the new initiatives taking place in Australian high schools in vocational education and training (VET in Schools) in the area of community services and health and in aged care work in particular. Whilst the submission deals specifically with VET in Schools programs in aged care settings, the benefits of these programs have a wide application across the whole spectrum of nursing sectors and the health industry generally.

4)	VET in Schools is relatively new. Students in year 11 and 12 are now able to undertake nationally accredited training as part of their senior high school education. Training takes place both in the classroom and also ‘on-the-job’, in a relevant workplace, through Structured Workplace Learning - SWL). Structured Workplace Learning has been growing rapidly, with over 80,000 students participating in 1999/2000 in 75% of high schools across Australia

5)	Currently, students are able to study Community Services (Aged Care Work) courses at Certificate II and III levels, in a number of States and Territories, giving them the opportunity to develop skills and obtain first hand experience in aged care facilities to gain personal care worker or assistant-in -nursing qualifications.

6)	The benefits of VET in Schools programs in aged care work are:
•	They have the potential to attract students into nursing. Case students show that students have become interested in nursing as a career once they have had experienced working in aged care facilities, and been involved in the VET courses.

•	They provide students with an additional, practical pathway into nursing:  Students can move from the Certificate III (Aged Care Work) qualification into enrolled nursing and then into registered nursing. Case studies show that students gain confidence in their abilities through undertaking workplace learning (SWL) and are more inclined to undertake further tertiary nursing education. This is particularly the case for Aboriginal students.

•	They help students make informed career choices: During their work placements, students gain a realistic picture of a health setting and work with residents with high care needs such as dementia and immobility. When they enrol in nursing courses they are more likely to stay than other students who have had little experience in health care environments. 

•	They provide relevant skills and experience to students entering nursing courses: Students begin their nursing courses with the unpinning skills and knowledge of a Certificate III in Aged Care Work, and with relevant industry workplace experience. 

•	They will count towards a Tertiary Entrance Score (TER):In a number of States the VET qualifications will be calculated towards a university entrance score for the first time in 2001. This is being advocated in all States by the ECEF Aged care project. 

7)	The VET in Schools initiative and the ECEF Aged Care Project has wide support from a range of key industry organisations including:

•	Aged and Community Services Australia
•	Australian Nursing Homes and Extended Care Association 
•	Australian Nursing Federation 
•	The Royal College of Nursing Australia 
•	Community Services and Health Training Australia
•	Catholic Health Australia
•	UnitingCare Australia
•	The Council On The Ageing

All acknowledge that VET in schools has the potential to attract skilled young people into nursing and into the aged care industry in particular and is an important strategy in addressing the workforce shortages facing the industry. 

8)	 The ECEF Aged Care Project, in consultation with an industry based steering committee, has developed a three-year plan (see appendix) to extend VET in Schools in aged care/health to all States and territories and promote the courses, and health career pathways to high school students. 

9)	VET in Schools programs are providing young people with qualifications, skills and experience relevant to the health industry. They have the potential to contribute to an uptake in careers in nursing, in particular within the aged care sector and, as such, deserve the consideration and support of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee.

10)	 ECEF recommends that the Senate Community Affairs References Committee:

•	Hears evidence from members of the ECEF Aged Care Steering Committee 

•	Visits a school based VET program to meet with coordinators and students involved in undertaking a program in aged care work.

•	Supports the growth of VET in Schools programs in aged care and the work of the ECEF Aged Care Project 

•	Urges the Commonwealth and State Governments, the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), the Community Services and Health Industry Training Advisory Board (CSHTA) and relevant industry bodies to work together to develop an integrated strategy and plan for increasing career awareness, work experience, Structured Workplace Learning and school based part time traineeships for nursing and aged care work 

Introduction
ThIs submission describes the current vocational education and training taking place in high schools in the area of aged care work/health and explains how this has the potential to increase recruitment of nurses particularly in the aged care industry. 

It describes VET programs in aged care work/health and the project currently being funded through the ECEF to increase the numbers of students entering these programs, and careers in health and nursing. 

The benefits of VET programs are outlined. 

A plan for future growth of programs to all States and Territories and a number of case studies are attached in the appendix. 

A short video is also attached as an example of an aged care VET program in Tasmania and the exciting outcomes that are being achieved.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation
 
The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF) is the leading peak body in vocational education and career education in schools. It receives funding from the Commonwealth Government and works nationally to promote and facilitate the growth of vocational and career education. It is currently funding a project to promote vocational education in schools in the area of aged care/health. 

Vocational Education and Training in Schools
Over the last 4–5 years, vocational education and training (VET in Schools) has to been introduced into many high schools in all States and Territories. 
It covers a broad spectrum of activities from career awareness and work experience in years 9 and 10 to structured workplace learning and school based traineeships, in years 11 and 12. 

In health and aged care this means that in years 11 and 12, high school students are now able to study for nationally accredited training package qualifications as part of their senior school certificates. 

Part of the students’ training takes place in the classroom and part of it is ‘on-the-job’, undertaking structured workplace learning (SWL) during an extended work placement within an aged care facility or similar health setting. Structured Workplace Learning has been growing rapidly, with over 80,000 students participating in 1999/2000 in 75% of high schools across Australia.

Health-related VET in Schools 
The Community Services (Aged Care Work) course (Certificate II and III) is currently being offered in high schools in a number of States and Territories. It is a VET subject that provides an introduction to the health/nursing field and offers students an opportunity to work in health settings in aged care facilities, training with residents who have low to high care needs. 

Students gain first hand experience in nursing homes, learning skills and competencies such as manual handling, senior first aid, supporting residents’ personal care as well as completing subjects such as the process of ageing, dementia, grief and loss, and understanding the aged care industry. 

Aged care facilities host the work placements, and staff act as workplace trainers and supervisors through a “buddy’ system. Students, therefore, get the chance to train with enrolled nurses or senior personal carers/assistant-in-nursing staff, and can observe registered nurses in senior health and management roles. They may interact with other health professionals, such as physiotherapists, diversional therapists and social workers.

Depending on the level of the course, the particular State education system and the school timetable, the work placements range from 30 hours to 120 hours over the school year. These are organised as one-week blocks, or for one day per week or a combination of the two. 

Outcomes
When students finish high school they gain both a Certificate II or III qualification in Aged Care Work and their senior school certificate. They will have had industry exposure, established connections with employers and have gained relevant skills and experience. 

In addition, students’ impressions of the industry and of nursing are shaped by a more positive reality, rather than by the media and stereotypes. 

Evidence from a number of case studies show that as a result of the courses students have either gained employment in aged care facilities or are pursuing further study in either aged care, community services, or nursing. At Launceston College in Tasmania, twelve 16 – 19 year old students completed either Certificate II or III courses in 2000. Of these, seven have found employment directly in aged care facilities and seven are pursuing further studies, with a number planning to enter tertiary courses such as enrolled or registered nursing or diversional therapy. 

Growth of courses

The programs are not yet available to high school students in every State, particularly in NSW and Queensland. The ECEF Aged Care Project is working to change this and is actively promoting, advocating and developing aged care VET across Australia. It is particularly promoting the programs as a pathway into nursing and health/community services careers.
Student enrolments and work placements are still relatively low, as programs have only been available in the last one or two years but will grow, when all States begin to offer courses and more schools start to deliver them. 

With increased information and education about employment options and career pathways, indications from case studies suggest that many more students are likely to choose these courses. 

Victoria, for example, offers a Community Services (Community Work) course with a possible aged care elective. In the first year of course delivery initial data shows that approximately 1/4 of all community services work placements (108 out of 400) were in aged care settings. In the ACT approximately 1/5th (73 out of 358) of students undertaking community services courses undertook aged care work placements.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation believes student enrollments have the potential for growth and that this can impact positively on enrollments in nursing courses and the future nursing work force. 
 
The benefits of VET in school programs in aged care work
1)	They have the potential to attract students to nursing. Case students show that students initially interested in child care careers or community services work have become interested in nursing once they have experienced work in health settings in aged care facilities. 
2)	They provide students with an additional, practical pathway into nursing. Students can move from the Certificate III (Aged Care Work) qualification into enrolled nursing and then into registered nursing. Case studies show that many students gain confidence in their abilities through undertaking VET work placements and having completed Certificate II, go on to certificate III and then feel confident to move into either enrolled or registered nursing. This is especially relevant to Aboriginal students.
3)	They help students make informed career choices. During their work placements, students gain a realistic picture of a health setting and working with residents with high care needs such as dementia and immobility. When they enrol in nursing courses they are more likely to stay than other students who have had little experience in health care environments. When the VET students begin their nursing courses they will have already achieved level II or III competencies in Aged Care Work, as well as had relevant industry experience. 
Good marketing to high school students can increase enrolments, as shown by the work of the recent campaign in Western Australia, but it may not affect students’ retention rates at universities or TAFE colleges. Good marketing plus VET in Schools programs, is much more likely to produce keen undergraduates, who are committed about their chosen career paths, who are more likely to complete their nursing courses and enter the industry when they finish.  
4)	They provide relevant experience for graduate nursing courses. In a number of States, for example, Tasmania, the VET qualifications will be calculated towards a university entrance score, so students successfully completing these VET courses can enrol in registered nursing at university, with the unpinning skills and knowledge of a Certificate III in Aged Care Work. This is being advocated in all States by the ECEF Aged care project. 

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation Aged Care Project

Research conducted by ECEF three years ago recognised that aged care was a growth industry yet had very little student interest. Therefore ECEF committed two years support (2000/01) to a development project to assist the growth of aged care Vet in Schools. 

The ECEF aged care project is working on the development of an educational infrastructure so that every State and Territory will be able to offer aged care courses to students. It is also planning promotional activities to inform and educate careers advisors and VET coordinators to encourage more young people to try aged care Vet in Schools and to consider careers in aged care and nursing. 

The ECEF Aged Care project is supported and advised by an industry based steering committee with representatives of: 

•	Aged and Community Services Australia
•	Australian Nursing Homes and Extended Care Association 
•	Catholic Health Australia
•	UnitingCare Australia
•	The Council on the Ageing
•	Australian Nursing Federation 
•	Community Services and Health Training Australia

The project steering committee believes that VET in Schools is an important initiative that should be supported as it has the potential to build skilled work force numbers and attract more young people into nursing, aged care and health careers.

Future growth of VET in Schools in Aged Care Work

The ECEF Aged Care Project, in conjunction with the industry based steering committee has developed a three-year plan outlining how VET in schools in aged care/health can be secured in all States and Territories, with courses accessible to all high school students. 

Conclusion
VET in Schools aged care programs are relatively new. They are beginning to show very positive outcomes for students, and for the aged care facilities involved in work placements. 
VET programs provide students with nationally recognised industry qualifications and practical first hand experience of the health industry. They help students to make realistic choices about future careers in the industry, provide an early entry point into a nursing education pathway and are attracting young people into nursing, and related health/community services employment. 
ECEF recommends that the Senate Community Affairs References Committee support the VET in Schools initiative and the work of the Aged Care Project and its three year plan to continue developing programs across Australia in the coming years. 
Once fully established in all States and territories aged care VET in schools programs can provide an important and practical means to increase recruitment in the health industry amongst young people and alleviate the long term nursing workforce shortages facing Australia.

Recommendations
ECEF recommends that the Senate Community Affairs References Committee:

•	Hears evidence from members of the ECEF Aged Care Steering Committee 

•	Visits a school based VET program to meet with coordinators and students involved in undertaking a program in aged care work.

•	Supports the growth of VET in Schools programs in aged care and the work of the ECEF Aged Care Project 

•	Urges the Commonwealth and State Governments, the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), the Community Services and Health Industry Training Advisory Board (CSHTA) and relevant industry bodies to work together to develop an integrated strategy and plan for increasing career awareness, work experience, Structured Workplace Learning and school based part time traineeships for nursing and aged care work. .

Appendix 

The Secretary
Senate Community Affairs References Committee
Suite S1 59
Parliament House
Canberra  ACT  2600

Dear Sir/madam

Re: Inquiry into Nursing

Please find enclosed a submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Inquiry into Nursing  from the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation.

The submission also includes a 5 minute video which shows an example of the programs discussed in the ECEF submission.

The contact point for the information about this submission is Gael Kennedy, ECEF Aged Care Project Manager.

Yours faithfully,

Gael Kennedy
Aged Care Project Manager 

Ph: 02 9660 3854
Fax: 02 9560 3138
Mob: 0403 131 410
Email: gael@kennedyassociates.com.au