IAHA MEDIA RELEASE: IAHA Welcome the Commitment of Funding for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce

IAHA Welcome the Commitment of Funding for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce

13 March 2022

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) welcomes the joint announcement from Minister Greg Hunt and Minister Ken Wyatt, launching the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan 2021–2031 (National Workforce Plan), the first of its kind.

Endorsed by all governments, the National Workforce Plan will see a more coordinated approach to the growth and empowerment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce across a diverse range of roles, settings, and sectors, to provide more culturally safe and responsive care to benefit all Australians.

IAHA Chief Executive Officer and outgoing National Health Leadership Forum Chair, Donna Murray, said of the announcement:

“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce brings a unique, dual cultural and clinical lens to their work. Growing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce should be a priority for all governments, with investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led and culturally responsive approaches across health, education, skills, training, and employment portfolios.”

IAHA welcome the commitment of funding to the four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Peak Organisations, which was announced alongside the release of the National Workforce Plan. This commitment will enable our organisations to continue the work currently underway, growing, supporting, and strengthening the current and future workforce across health and more broadly.

Donna Murray continued to say:

“IAHA is supporting the growth of the allied health sector across diverse professions, ensuring that workforce strategies are culturally safe, responsive and place-based. These localised approaches to workforce development and employment, contributing significantly to closing the gap in outcomes through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander solutions.”

The announcement committed $18.9 million in funding for IAHA over four years, including $8 million to continue the delivery of five IAHA National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academies nationally. IAHA Chairperson, Nicole Turner, said:

“The IAHA National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academy is an important strategic priority for IAHA and plays a key role in supporting over one hundred of our young people to identify and pursue their goals and aspirations, including their career pathways, with holistic culturally safe support structures in place. Therefore, it is essential that we continue to build, grow and create local, accessible, and supportive pathways to succeed in education, training, and employment.”

 IAHA has a clear role in the monitoring, leadership and implementation of the National Workforce Plan, and we look forward to continuing our work with our members, families, communities to ensure our work meets their priorities and goals, along with our partners, stakeholders and governments, to deliver on this essential work.

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Enquiries:

Donna Murray

P: (02) 6285 1010
E: donna@iaha.com.au

Download a PDF copy: IAHA Release National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Plan