New national qualifications for Aboriginal health workers and Torres Strait Islander health workers due in 2005
Current topic| The following summary has been adapted from the October/November 2004 Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council media release.
The national system for vocational qualifications has undergone significant development in the last 7 years. New national qualifications have been developed and updated across all industries including in health and community services. The Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (Skills Council – view website) is developing new national competencies and qualifications for Aboriginal health workers and Torres Strait Islander health workers. It is anticipated new national health worker qualifications will be available in 2005. The development of new national qualifications is consistent with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Strategic Framework (view download information) prepared by the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council (AHMAC – view website) in April 2002. The Framework supports development of national qualifications by the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council to enable ‘greater clarity of the scope of practice and competence of workers using the job title Aboriginal Health Workers and to support comprehensive primary health care practice roles at various levels and undertaking different types of work in different work contexts’. The qualifications are being developed based on information from health workers and employers and according to guidelines established by the National Training Quality Council (NTQC – view information). Information collected to develop competencies and qualifications relates to the make-up of work roles and functions required for the delivery of health services to communities. The new qualifications will allow for a continuation of successful training and assessment strategies and for the development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker workforce. A second draft of the competencies and qualifications is now available for validation by stakeholders from October to December 2004. Further project information and copies of the draft can be obtained from the current project page of the Skills Council website (view webpage) or on CD-ROM. Alternatively, contact: Natalie Collison |
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