This page provides information and data on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker workforce.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners play a significant role in meeting the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The roles these workers perform vary and are dependent on the needs of the community they serve. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers often work in collaboration with a range of clinical health practitioners, allied health practitioners and other workers across the health sector to ensure the needs of individuals are adequately met.
The Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Training Package Products have been updated to ensure they continue to be fit for purpose, following consultation with sector stakeholders, and are expected to be approved by October 2022.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Industry Reference Committee (IRC) is responsible for six qualifications, packaged in the HLT – Health Training Package.
For information on other health-related training and employment, visit the Health industry page and the various sectors.
All data sources are available at the end of the page.
In 2022 there were approximately 700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, according to the National Skills Commission. Employment numbers have fluctuated, decreasing overall from a peak of 3,200 in 2002. This number is projected to increase to 2,400 by 2026.
Program enrolments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker-related qualifications peaked in 2018, at approximately 2,180. In 2021, there were more than 1,490 enrolments. Similarly, program completions peaked in 2018, at just under 360; in 2021, there were approximately 260 completions. The majority of program enrolments (about 65%) were at certificate IV level, with a further 22% at certificate III level. The intended occupation for all training was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker.
Approximately 55% of training was provided by TAFE institutes, 31% by private training providers and 9% at a community education provider. The majority of training (89%) was government funded.
Queensland had the highest proportion of students enrolled in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker-related qualifications in 2021, with 34%, followed by New South Wales with 23% and the Northern Territory with 12%.
Approximately 36% of training was delivered in Queensland, followed by 23% in New South Wales and 13% in the Northern Territory.
There were insufficient enrolments in apprenticeships or traineeships to allow analysis.
For more data specific to your occupation, industry group or training package, visit NCVER’s Data Builder.
For more data specific to your region please visit NCVER’s Atlas of Total VET.
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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker IRC's Skills Forecast – 2020 Update (hereafter the 2020 Annual Update) was the most recently published industry skills forecast, as of September 2022. It identified the top five short-to-medium term skills considered extremely important across the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health workforce as communication, teamwork, self-management, flexibility, and problem solving and critical thinking. Skills involved in the early detection and intervention of health needs are also important for the future workforce.
According to job vacancy data, the top requested attributes and skills by employers in the sector were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent and communication skills. The most advertised occupations were Aboriginal Health Worker, followed by Aboriginal Mental Health Worker. The top employers were the New South Wales Government and the Government of Western Australia.
In 2019, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker IRC identified several workforce challenges, summarised as a lack of career progression opportunities, government policy and legislation changes, and skills and workforce supply shortages. More recently, in the 2020 Annual Update, the IRC included the impact of COVID-19 and regulatory developments regarding capability requirements, as well as the aforementioned workforce challenges. Further information about the impact of COVID-19 is below.
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed in mid-2020, represents a different approach to the delivery of government services, with all Australian governments working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their communities, organisations and businesses. The Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan provides a snapshot of the Commonwealth’s existing actions, strategies and frameworks that contribute to Closing the Gap. This includes the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021-2031 which recognises the need for structural reform to improve access, address racism and enhance cultural safety across the whole health system. The newly released National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health Workforce Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan and the National Medical Workforce Strategy will also work together to build a health workforce that is equipped to provide culturally safe, high quality care across all locations.
The 2020 Annual Update reports there are shortages in skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, with employers experiencing difficulties in hiring appropriate staff. A lack of applicants, low wages, remote location, and the job being perceived to be unattractive are some of the key reasons why it is difficult to find new staff.
Further, shortages in other areas, such as a lack of Allied Health Assistants, has seen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers’ responsibilities widening, for example organising Allied Health Clinics. In turn, this impacts on the provision of core role duties, including health promotion and education.
Supply of skilled workers also remains an issue, with low completion of training. Related to training, stakeholders indicated there are challenges in developing clinical skills and the difference in rural/remote and metropolitan facilities and services (for example, libraries, internet access, the availability of tutors and assessors) which are also contributing to supply of appropriately trained people. In mid-2022, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care released the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan 2021-2031. Co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the plan includes actions to attract, recruit and retain workers across all roles, levels and locations within the Health sector.
The SkillsIQ’s 2020 Future Skills Survey, undertaken in early 2020 and referenced in the 2020 Annual Update, found the retention of staff was a workforce challenge. A National Rural Health Commissioner Final Report provides an overview of challenges associated with retention of health workers in rural areas. According to the 2020 Annual Update, stakeholder feedback indicates this is in part due to an ageing workforce approaching retirement, who have high levels of skills, knowledge and experience. There are concerns about the next generation of workers who will fill these roles, with suggestions for more government funding to support the mentoring of less experienced workers.
Beyond parity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Planning: Achieving equity through needs-based and strengths-based approaches investigates workplace planning methods based on the healthcare needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in view of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The Agreement recognises that achieving better Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes requires equity in the health system investment, system-wide workplace reforms and strength-based approaches that emphasise partnerships with Indigenous organisations and communities. Yet, there is no national commitment at present to achieving an equitable number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within a culturally safe and responsive workforce. As such, the report shows what is required for needs-based workforce planning and addressing low retention rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals.
Strengthening cultural safety of care is a vital challenge for the health sector. The article “We’re very much part of the team here”: A culture of respect for Indigenous health workforce transforms Indigenous health care, shows how two cancer services and their affiliated hospitals demonstrate positive patient outcomes and a strong Indigenous health workforce can be achieved.
Retention is also an issue within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workforce. The underrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the mental health workforce is a key barrier to engagement with mental health services, according to Improving Indigenous Mental Health Outcomes with an Indigenous Mental Health Workforce. The report, published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, finds that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have more cultural safety and trust in mental health services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workers and professionals, who can deliver culturally relevant mental health services, with holistic social and emotional wellbeing perspective. The NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020-2025 recognises that a highly skilled and supported workforce is required to increase cultural safety of services and sets out actions that support building and sustaining the Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing workforce.
One way to help to attract and retain workers into the sector is to develop clear career pathways. The Career Pathways Project, by the Lowitja Institute, aims to provide insight and guidance to enhance the capacity of workplaces and they health system more broadly, to retain and support the development and careers of Aboriginal and Torres Islander people in the workforce.
The 2020 Annual Update reports stakeholder feedback expressed concerns about the quality of trainers and training, and level of skill and knowledge shared with students. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heath workers require a wide range of knowledge to be well-prepared and capable in the role and there are concerns this may be undermined if good quality trainers and training is not available. Another challenge identified in the 2020 Annual Update is the development of learning resources which align with training requirements.
Stakeholder feedback emphasises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker training and job roles need to be fit-for-purpose and specifically address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health concerns, rather than being portable to broad health concerns. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job roles, for example, need to ensure a focus on being agents of change, such as being a point of contact in the early detection and intervention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues.
COVID-19 has impacted the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce, as well as respective job roles in different ways, according to the IRC’s 2020 Annual Update. It reports that many workplaces have implemented additional measures to improve or reinforce practices to improve infection control and help keep patients and workforce safe in response to the pandemic.
The 2020 Annual Update also states the focus on infection control will continue to be an area of concern for the foreseeable future, with the IRC saying this may need to be considered in future reviews of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Training Package.
COVID-19: Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professionals published by the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners, provides a guide to being prepared, looking after oneself, and resources for helping keep communities safe. Up-to-date information about COVID-19 and links to relevant resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heath workers are also available through NAATSIHWP e-news.
In considering public policy perspectives in response to the COVID-19 crisis on Indigenous Australians, the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy and Research (CAEPR) reflects on the Indigenous health workforce (see pages 18-20). It states that during pandemics Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health workforce play a vital role in addressing the significant risks to Indigenous communities. They mitigate risks, reduce impacts and improve health outcomes by providing culturally relevant information and culturally safe forms of care. CAEPR concludes important lessons will emerge in addressing the impacts of COVID-19 for supporting and growing this crucial workforce in the future.
Over 30 Indigenous leaders in mental health and wellbeing contributed to A National COVID-19 Pandemic Issues Paper on Mental Health and Wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This report calls for a coordinated response based on best practice research in Indigenous mental health and wellbeing. Indigenous governance must be prioritised to manage the COVID-19 recovery in communities through equitable, needs-based funding to support strengths-based, place-based, Indigenous-led, and community-led initiatives that address the social and cultural determinants of health and wellbeing.
More information may also be available from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Heath Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker IRC’s Skills Forecast – 2020 update
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker IRC’s Skills Forecast 2019
A National COVID-19 Pandemic Issues Paper on Mental Health and Wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – Patricia Dudgeon, Kate Derry, Kerry Arabena et al
Beyond parity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Planning: Achieving equity through needs-based and strengths-based approaches – J Lahn, S Puszka, Y Dinku, N Nichols and F Markham
Career Pathways Project – Project leaders, Erin Lew Fatt and Dr Sally Nathan
Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan – Commonwealth of Australia
COVID-19: Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professionals – National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners
Improving Indigenous Mental Health Outcomes with an Indigenous Mental Health Workforce – Penney Upton, Linda Ford, Ruth Wallace, Sarah Jackson, Jenna Richard and Dominic Upton
Indigenous Australians and the COVID-19 Crisis: Perspectives on Public Policy – F Markham, D Smith and F Morphy
NAATSIHWP e-news – National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan 2021-2031 – Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
NSW Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020-2025 – NSW Ministry of Health
National Rural Health Commissioner Final Report – National Rural Health Commissioner
“We’re very much part of the team here”: A culture of respect for Indigenous health workforce transforms Indigenous health care – Emma Taylor, Marilyn Lyford, Lorraine Parsons, Toni Mason, Sabe Sabesan and Sandra Thompson
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Northern Territory Government Department of Health
Tasmanian Government Department of Health
Victoria Government Department of Health
Western Australia Government Department of Health
Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of New South Wales (AH&MRC)
Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA)
Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA)
Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT)
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC)
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation trading as Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)
Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association (NATSIHWA)
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia
National Skills Commission 2022, Occupation Employment Projections viewed 10 August 2022, https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/topics/employment-projections
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022, 6291.0.55.001 - EQ08 - Employed persons by Occupation unit group of main job (ANZSCO), Sex, State and Territory, August 1986 onwards, viewed 1 August 2022, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/may-2022
Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:
This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.
Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:
Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.
Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.
Job vacancy data have been extracted from Lightcast 2022, Labor Insight Real-time Labor Market Information Tool, Boston, viewed August 2022, https://lightcast.io/apac.
Data shown represent most requested generic skills and occupations according to internet job postings in Australia between July 2019 and June 2022 filtered by ANZSIC and ANZSCO classification levels listed below.
ANZSCO occupations have been used as industry filters because they provide more relevant job vacancy data for this sector.
