Aged care: A career with diverse roles and opportunity for growth

The need to care for Australia’s ageing population presents a vast variety of stable, diverse, and growing career opportunities in the aged care industry. According to research from CEDA, it’s estimated that Australia will need an additional 105,000 residential care beds and 110,000 extra workers in the next 10 years.

The aged care industry doesn’t just provide job security, though. Working with older Australians also offers incredible diversity in roles that can keep a career dynamic and interesting. There’s also the potential for upskilling, training, and career progression, enabling you to keep growing with your role. And access to these career options are only set to grow over the next decade and beyond as Australia’s population ages.

In this article, we’ll discuss and hear from professionals within the industry about how aged care can offer you a diversity of roles, career growth opportunities and the opportunity to futureproof your career.

Choose from varied and diverse roles

There’s a common misconception that the only roles available in aged care are centred around providing personal care to clients. While these very important roles are common in both residential and community care settings, there is a wide variety of other opportunities available within the sector.

Roles in residential and community care settings vary greatly across nurses, lifestyle planners, memory support workers, allied health professionals, mental health practitioners, and so much more.

Trish Brose, a personal care worker and activities officer at BlueCare, has been working in the aged care industry for more than 15 years. In that time, she’s seen people take advantage of the many diverse roles and opportunities available.

“There are a lot of different roles available, depending on what you want to do,” she says. “And not only can you be anything you want to be, you can grow in your career as well. You can start as an assistant in nursing and end up a registered nurse or even clinical nurse – I’ve seen that happen a lot.”

Trish explains that she started as a personal carer, then received support and training from her workplace to move into diversional therapy, to design recreation programs for the residents. Having the opportunity to move into this role and help residents live their fullest lives, has been incredibly rewarding.

“I’m all about the contact with the residents,” she explains. “When they tell me that I’ve made a difference in their life, and when I can see for myself the impact that’s had, that’s what it’s all about.”

Continue to develop and grow your career

With so many diverse roles available, the aged care industry presents fantastic opportunities for career development, upskilling, and growth. For Jackie Girvan, Service Manager for Uniting in NSW, these opportunities started from the very beginning of her career.

“I have always had a passion for aged care and commenced in the sector at 18 years old,” she explains. “I had only been in aged care a short time when I was given the opportunity to gain some experience in leisure and lifestyle in conjunction with care shifts, which I embraced.”

Just two years later, Jackie was given further opportunities to complete her Bachelor of Nursing degree and continue her studies to become an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse. She says that this level of support from managers and leaders has been present at every workplace she’s had in the aged care industry.

Referring to the support that professionals get in aged care to extend their learning, Jackie says, “ For managers and leaders in aged care, it’s a culture. Talent spotting and encouraging people to take risks is embedded into leaders.”

With such scope for growth and development, Jackie says her career has (and continues to be) dynamic and meaningful.

“Aged care is a growing industry with the most creative, kind, and resilient individuals. I am proud to work in aged care and to see what we as an industry have achieved and endured while still providing safe and quality care to older Australians.

“The opportunities for career growth in aged care are endless and you get to work with and touch the lives of our elders, while making a difference.”

Find a sense of purpose through making a difference

As well as career growth and diversity of roles, aged care also offers the chance to make a profound difference in peoples’ lives – something that’s long been known and shared by those in the industry. But now with more of us wanting our work to be meaningful, aged care may call to others looking for the sense of purpose that can help them to forge a long and rewarding career.

Vicki Cain, residence manager at Arcare Pimpama, has more than 30 years’ experience working in aged care. After starting out in the industry at just 16, she went on to complete her Bachelor of Nursing, followed by a postgraduate degree in gerontology, specialising in dementia. Now her management role makes for dynamic workdays, underpinned by a focus on being present and supportive for her team and residents.

“I have always believed in visual leadership, so I spend a lot of time out and about with residents and team members. Meeting with families and supporting our team is a vital role for all managers, because without them, everything falls down.”

It’s clear that for Vicki, her role in aged care allows her to make a difference not only in the lives of individuals, but also in shaping the community that exists among staff, residents and their families. “The key to creating a true community in residential care is to remind yourself of the question, ‘What will I be prepared to accept when it’s my time?’”

Having built a rewarding career she takes pride in, Vicki can now share her knowledge and experience with others. “Aged care has been very good to me, and I always try to pay it forward by mentoring and coaching others. I am extremely proud to be part of aged care.”

Discover a diverse, dynamic, and in-demand career in aged care

Over the coming decades, Australia’s aged care industry will continue to grow as demand for aged care services increases. Not only does this future-proof it as a career pathway, it also means there is greater scope for finding a career development opportunity that best suits you.

If you’re considering where to begin your career or where to take it next and want to find work that will challenge, fulfill, and interest you for years to come, aged care could be the right fit for you.