Recruiting aged care workers has been “one of the challenges” of opening a new residential facility at Dubbo, the man at its helm reports.
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Since it began operating 11 months ago, Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institution Dubbo Masonic Village has contributed to the demand for aged care workers seen across the region.
At its official opening on Thursday, general manager Danny Oakenfull acknowledged recruiting staff had been a challenge at times.
He said the facility with 70-bed capacity had a requirement of a minimum of a certificate three in aged care and that it recruited locally.
“So that has been one of the challenges of opening a brand new facility, of making sure we have enough staff on the ground to care for the residents we have,” he said.
“We have had to stall at times to make sure we do have those staff on board for the residents coming in.”
Mr Oakenfull offered reasons for people to consider working in the industry.
“Aged care is a very rewarding career and it can take you in very many places,” he said.
“We have within RFBI a program to make sure people progress on to registered nursing, so a sponsorship program.
“So within RFBI, starting off as a care worker and progressing through, we very much encourage.”
The unemployment rate of the federal electorate of Parkes fell by 2.4 per cent to 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to the December quarter, Department of Jobs and Small Business figures recently showed.
Parkes MP Mark Coulton reported in March his office dealt with businesses trying to secure specialised skilled workers, in roles including aged care workers, among others.