The AMA(WA) has been selected as a preferred training provider by Aged and Community Services (WA) in a move which reflects a major step forward in the drive to improve the quality of training of aged and community care workers in WA.
A Memorandum of Understanding, which formally confirms the arrangement, was signed last week at AMA(WA) Nedlands’s headquarters between Health Training Australia and ACSWA.
HTA, a part of the AMA(WA), has been a Registered Training Organisation for many years and provides high quality training solutions to aged care and community service providers.
ACSWA is the leading representative body for the aged care sector in Western Australia and has taken a significant stand in recent years to reform the sector, especially to increase the skills of those employed in the aged care and community service areas.
AMA(WA) President, Associate Professor David Mountain said it was important that the MOU was signed the very week that aged care had taken a new prominence in Australia following the release of the Productivity Commission report into aged care, which recommended major reform to the sector.
“How any nation treats its ageing population and provides for their needs is an accurate reflection of the quality of that society,” A/Prof Mountain said.
With much of the world facing a dramatically ageing population, training and services for those who are ageing were increasingly becoming key issues, he said.
“It is vital that those who work in aged care and community service are properly trained and properly skilled and this MOU will go a long way to ensuring workers in our state are ready to care for older members of our community,” he said.
Stephen Kobelke, CEO o f ACSWA, said WA’s aged and community care sector was committed to delivering high quality education, training and information services to assist in maintaining a sustainable and capable local workforce.
“This is an important alliance which will enhance the opportunities for further training and education for the staff of ACSWA’s member organisations,” he said.
“We are particularly pleased that this partnership will enable both organisations to combine resources and leverage strengths, resources and knowledge to ensure the best possible training opportunities are offered for the aged and community care sector.”
“I have no doubt that this agreement will provide a firm foundation for the development of future training opportunities and funding in this key sector. I also expect the signing of the MOU will see the relationship between the HTA and ACSWA continue to flourish,” A/Prof Mountain said.
Pictured: ACSWA Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kobelke and AMA(WA) Executive Director Paul Boyatzis signing the MOU last week.