Young People Consider Aged Care Careers at Respect

In Australia, the aged care sector needs 110,000 new workers this decade – and Respect’s Autumn Lodge is helping inspire the next generation of aged care workers.

Recently, Autumn Lodge in Macksville, NSW, hosted a group of Year 10 students, giving them the opportunity to explore a potential career in aged care.

Over three days, students joined residents for pancake making, bingo and plenty of conversation to get an authentic and hands-on look at what a career in aged care can look like.

What unfolded across those three days was about more than career exploration. Residents who have lived through decades of change – wars, recessions, technological revolutions found themselves sharing those stories with young people who listened and asked questions.

The students, many of whom had never spent meaningful time with older Australians especially in an aged care setting, discovered something they hadn’t expected: genuine connection.

Aged care is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, and the opportunities for young people are huge. 

This program and others like it are a great way to help students see past stereotypes and discover careers that are genuinely rewarding.

For residents, having young people through the door is a highlight.

For students, it’s often a surprise. Turns out an afternoon of dominoes and pancakes with someone who’s lived a genuinely interesting life is hard to beat.

And for Respect, that’s exactly the point – when young people have the opportunity to experience aged care firsthand, they can see the rewarding career opportunities it offers.