Executive+Summary+064

Hunter New England Health (NSW Health RTO), in conjunction with Upper Murray Health and Community Services (UMHCS) in Victoria, has successfully obtained an Australian Flexible Learning Framework e-learning innovations grant to develop an e-recognition pathway for Allied Health Assistances (AHA),

In Australia there are concerns regarding future staff shortages across all health workforces sectors (Belcher et al., 2005; NSW Health, 2005; Productivity Commission, 2005) and in particular allied health professions (O'Kane & Curry, 2003; AHWAC, 2006).These workforce shortages are due to increased need for allied health services resulting from both increased numbers of people in the community with chronic diseases and the increasingly ageing Australian population (NSW Health, 2005) along with an ageing health workforce (NSW Health, 2005). Research into the use of Allied Health Assistances (AHA) in other states to address these shortages has been successful, especially in rural areas in Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria (Goodale, Spitz, Beattie & Lin, 2007; Mitchell, 2005; Hall, 2003).
 * Background:**

HNEH recently conducted an AHA Pathways Planning Workshop, part of which included an environmental scan that identified strong support for both the increased use of, and organised and relevant training of, AHA in HNEH, including the need for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) options. The impending workforce shortages suggest that alternative training and career development pathways need to be considered including the use of AHA qualifications for both new and existing workers.

Over the last 12 months, HNEH has been collaborating with UMHCS on the development of e-learning pathways for allied health Assistances. This partnership evolved from the common need to develop innovative e-learning solutions to address a critical workforce development area. The National Vocational Education and Training Report (Kilpatrick, Le, Johns, Millar & Routley, 2007) recommends that responsibility for addressing these skills shortages needs to be jointly shared by health and educational sectors and thus HNEH and UMHCS as industry based RTOs are in a unique position to implement these recommendations.

HNEH has a strong track record in e-learning and is recognised as a leader in the health industry, nationally and internationally (Mills, 2003). HNEH deploys organisational learning through MyLink (moodle platform) and this technology is currently being used to support a number of innovative e-learning projects such as mandatory education and training, leadership and management development, pandemic influenza management, as well as a wide range of clinical service capabilities e.g. wound management, orientation to aged care, telehealth.


 * What does the project involve?**

In this project, the NSW Health RTO will develop, trial and evaluate an e-recognition process for AHA staff (who do not possess AHA qualifications) in HNEH (maximum cohort in the trial will be 10 staff) to gain the Certificate IV AHA (generic). The e-recognition process will include a range of assessment activities that can be completed online and/or in the workplace, including the development of information/preparation packages for the learners, their managers and their peers on the recognition process eg DVD format for deployment through DVD players and/or the RTO’s e-learning platform. Focus groups will be conducted with the target pilot group, as well as their managers and peers, to market the recognition process and to orientate all stakeholders to the e-recognition process.