Recruiting qualified care staff in regional areas has always been a challenge – and the housing shortage only adds to the difficulty. For many providers, this has meant relying heavily on agency staff, creating unsustainable financial pressures.
At St Andrew’s, we’ve taken a bold step to change this. Through an innovative partnership with Warwick Schmitz and Skilled Care, we’re redefining how we recruit and train local care professionals in the St Andrew’s Way.
Here’s how it works:
- Local Talent First – Skilled Care advertises traineeship roles and screens applicants from our local communities.
- Personalised Selection – We host group interviews and meet each candidate before making informed hiring decisions.
- Training & Career Pathways – Successful applicants join St Andrew’s as permanent part-time employees while completing their Cert III (and later Cert IV) in Individual Support through Skilled Care’s training program.
Our first cohort of 12 trainees began in October. After three weeks of classroom learning, competency assessments, and buddy shifts, they are now confidently working on the floor, delivering exceptional care to our residents. A second group of 14 started on 1 December and more will follow in 2026.
This partnership is more than recruitment – it’s about creating sustainable careers in aged care and building a stronger, more skilled workforce for the future.
Interested in joining our team or learning more? Email Celeste Hartmann: chartman@standrew.com.au
