Aged Care
Australia
In the Press
The aged care sector in Australia is facing a critical workforce shortage, impacting providers nationwide.
However, the Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT), a top aged care provider, has demonstrated a successful model for tackling this challenge through a strategic partnership with Groworx, a global workforce solutions provider.
IRT's Struggle with Staffing
IRT, operating across 20+ locations in NSW and QLD, recently faced the same struggles as many in the sector: high reliance on expensive agency staff, inconsistent quality of care due to a transient workforce, and difficulty scaling operations.
All these staffing problems led to increased operational costs and hindered IRT's ability to meet the growing demand for their services.
“The main trigger point of our struggles was COVID; there was a flight of staff out of the industry, and it was a very difficult period for all aged care. And looking into the future, considering what the age of our workforce was and where workers would come from into the future, we already knew that domestic recruitment would be critical,” says Patrick Reid, CEO of IRT.
The Groworx FILO Program
Groworx partnered with IRT’s CEO Patrick Reid in 2023 to design and implement a comprehensive workforce strategy called the FILO (Filipino International Labour Opportunity) Program.
"The reason we went to the Philippines is that I’ve had experience with the World Bank in the Pacific, particularly in labour mobility in countries like Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and other Pacific countries and understanding that cohort of people are very much care related in that region. This is the same with the Philippines which is very family orientated and have deep experience with older people and often have that caring attitude that we wanted. The other thing is that the Philippines has a very strong proficiency in English and well-structured spoken English, that for our cohort which are older Australians, hiring staff with that proficiency is very important.”
- Patrick Reid, IRT CEO
In partnership with IRT Academy, the Manila-based Groworx facilitated Cert III in Individual Support training offshore to hundreds of Filipino carers. This ensured that workers arrived in Australia fully qualified and job-ready to provide high-quality care, aligning with IRT's standards and values.
After a rigorous process of pre-screening and training in the Philippines, a total of 158 Filipino care workers were deployed in manageable groups, fostering a sense of community and easing their transition to life in Australia.
Groworx also assisted with accommodation arrangements and provided ongoing support services, including cultural orientation and workplace mentoring, for a successful integration program for the foreign workers.
The FILO (Filipino International Labour Opportunity) Program resulted in:
Recruitment
Offshore Training
Structured Deployment and Grouping
Groworx deployed workers in manageable groups and assisted with accommodation arrangements to foster a sense of community and ease their transition by distributing workers across 20+ IRT locations based on their needs.
Workers were deployed in groups of 19-26 per landing, ensuring a steady and manageable influx of skilled staff. Groworx also worked closely with IRT to group workers by accommodation, placing 3-5 workers in shared houses or assigning them to IRT’s vacant residential properties with a 1:1 ratio. The accommodation provided to foreign workers was fully furnished, and the rent was deducted through salary sacrifice, providing financial convenience for workers.
Ongoing Support
Groworx also provided cultural orientation, workplace mentoring, and ongoing support services to ensure smooth integration and long-term retention. We also provided ongoing support to workers after their arrival, helping them integrate into their new roles and communities.
By offering continuous support to Filipino care workers, Groworx's community integration support fostered job satisfaction and long-term retention. Groworx also leveraged its extensive network to identify and recruit qualified Filipino care workers from overseas, expanding the provider's talent pool beyond the country’s local resources.
Transformational Results
The most important aspect of the partnership is Groworx’s strategic deployment, as Filipino care workers were deployed across IRT's diverse locations based on existing needs, ensuring consistent staffing levels across all facilities.
The results of this partnership have been remarkable, as savings reached over $3 million to date. IRT also saved millions of dollars annually by reducing reliance on agency staff.
The FILO program, with a retention rate of over 99%, also demonstrated the effectiveness of Groworx's comprehensive support. Only 4 out of 158 workers left their roles. IRT also saw a significant improvement in consistency and quality of care provided to residents and clients due to a stable, well-trained Filipino workforce.
Groworx’s structured deployment model enabled IRT to scale the workforce efficiently and adapt to changing demands. The integration support provided by Groworx, which included accommodation assistance, also gave workers a sense of community, easing their transition to life in Australia.
“It was a strategic and tactical move to look at which countries are we drawing our staff from now and hence, we looked at the Philippines. I looked at the scale of the program and this is truly the first transnational education of this scale. Nearly 200 workers trained offshore to an Australian qualification using Groworx’s own academy,” says Patrick Reid, IRT CEO.
“The other thing to look at is the Philippines has a strong overseas worker foundation. For Filipinos, it is a proud profession, to go overseas and work to remit money to their loved ones. So from that perspective, the workers are comfortable moving to another country. And here I think is the success of the program was being very selective with where we went about the process.”
A Model for Success Inspiring Other Providers
The success of the IRT and Groworx partnership offers a compelling model for other aged care providers struggling with similar workforce challenges.
By focusing on strategic recruitment, comprehensive training, and ongoing support, aged care organisations around the world can build a sustainable workforce, improve the quality of care, and achieve significant cost savings by partnering with an international recruitment solutions company like Groworx that brings global talent to address staffing shortages.
Watch Groworx CEO Dan Sandiford’s Interview with IRT CEO Pat Reid:
