The right prescription
WORKERS do not need healthcare qualifications to take advantage of strong employment growth in the sector.
Chefs, tradies, information and communication technology professionals and administrative staff are just as vital to the industry as doctors and nurses, while roles also exist for less skilled workers.
Heather Messenger, chief executive of Adelaide’s Burnside War Memorial Hospital, says most people think about doctors, nurses, physios and social workers when they think about healthcare jobs but there are many people outside the health professions who are essential to providing healthcare services.
“We are currently seeking people to work in the catering department, theatre orderlies and a human resources executive,” she says.
“We’re even recruiting a [Burnside Hospital] Foundation fundraising manager. “There are lots of opportunities for people that are highly skilled but there’s also lots of opportunities for people that are less skilled.”
The healthcare and social assistance sector is Australia’s largest employer, with almost 1.5 million people working in the industry.
The Federal Government predicts an extra 798,000 healthcare workers will be needed by 2025. Technology is creating new openings in niche areas, too. For example, Messenger says data analysts are being sought to help create greater efficiencies in the health services provided and information security professionals are needed to protect patient privacy.
For some workers, a role in a hospital setting can provide better working conditions. Chefs and catering staff, for example, can enjoy more family-friendly hours.
Stephan Drewes was an international chef working for five-star hotel brands and Adelaide’s Parliament House before he moved into the healthcare industry as a production and logistics manager.
He is now hospitality services manager at Burnside Hospital, where he looks after the kitchen, catering and housekeeping teams and takes on the role of chef when needed. “If I had stayed [in hospitality] I probably wouldn’t have moved into the managerial side so [healthcare] has let me do this … but still keep the food aspect, which is very dear to me,’’ Drewes says.
“After all the split shifts and Christmases and everything [expected of a hotel chef], I think my family is grateful I now have weekends off and I don’t have to work until midnight.’’