Career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals

Project aim and objectives 

Aim: to provide insight and guidance to enhance the capacity of the workplaces, and the health system more broadly to retain and support the development and careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the workforce. 

The objectives of this project were to determine:  

The unique skill-sets and values that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals can, and do, contribute to health services. 
The experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals in entering, and progressing, their careers within health services. 
The barriers and enablers to career development and career pathways. 
What actions need to be taken to make a difference to career development and career pathways of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals.

Project team

Project leader: Erin Lew Fatt, Dr Sally Nathan 
Project partners: 

AMSANT 
Western Sydney University  
Bila Muuji Aboriginal Health Services Inc  
Awabakal Aboriginal Medical Service 
Western NSW LHD 
South Western Sydney LHD 
Western NSW PHN 
Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation

Administering organisation: UNSW  
Project timeline: 01/07/2017—31/05/2019 

Methodology

Literature review  
Workforce survey:

Administered a national survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff across all professions, roles and locations. Its aim was to better understand the development needs and career pathways of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce to inform strategies to improve employment, retention and career opportunities.  
The survey was promoted through key health professional forums and networks via email and Twitter and promoted and distributed at conferences and other events.

New South Wales case studies: 
- 28 yarning circles and 6 interviews were held with Aboriginal health staff and their managers at both Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and Government health services.  
- This allowed us to explore in-depth the factors impacting on careers whilst using a solutions focus to generate a range of potential strategies for enhancing career pathways.  
- 122 people including 83 staff (57 from ACCHOs and 26 from government organisations) and 39 managers (24 from ACCHOs and 15 from government organisations) from across NSW participated in either a yarning circle or an interview.

Project findings 

The findings of this project included: 

Information and insights about the enablers and barriers for health service managers, training organisations, universities, and peak professional bodies to inform recruitment, retention, and career development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals. Changes to these practices will be advocated and supported using the project findings at local, regional and national levels.  
An in-depth understanding of the unique skill-sets, cultural knowledge and values that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals can contribute to health services.

Evidence-based guiding principles to assist health service managers and policy makers across sectors in identifying barriers and facilitators to rewarding career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals, and to inform strategies to improve policy and practice. The tools from the project will be available to those who plan to undertake their own research in this area, for example conducting workplace-based case studies in another state.  
An outline of a proposed monitoring mechanism to track progress in policy and practice to address the barriers and improve the recruitment, retention and career pathways of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals. Mechanisms are proposed in the final report and will require further discussion with key stakeholders and government.  
Increased research skills and stronger research track records for Aboriginal members of the project teams, and increased understanding of and engagement in research by participating Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs).  
Ongoing productive research relationships between and among universities and partner organisations.

Project outcomes  

Knowledge	An in-depth understanding of the unique skill sets, cultural knowledge and values that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals can contribute to health services.  Identification of barriers and facilitators to rewarding career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals.
Awareness	Stakeholders and potential research end users were engaged throughout this study through social media (Twitter) and email.  Various workshops, working groups and yarning circles were held to facilitate stakeholder engagement.  Three presentations were delivered at conferences regarding the findings of the research project.
Behaviour	Changes to practices of recruitment, retention and career development will be advocated and supported using the project findings at the local, regional and national level.  The tools developed from the project will be available to those that plan to undertake their own research in this area.
Skills	Several junior Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander researchers benefited from involvement in this study, including one Master’s of Research student and one PhD student.

Bailey, J., Blignault, I., Carriage, C., Demasi, K., Joseph, T., Kelleher, K., Lew Fatt, E., Meyer, L., Naden, P., Nathan, S., Newman, J., Renata, P., Ridoutt, L., Stanford, D. & Williams, M. 2020, ‘We Are working for our People’: Growing and strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce, Career Pathways Project Report, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.

A series of component reports underpin the main overall report and were written at different points in time by different teams as part of the national two year-long Career Pathways Project (CPP). All the underlying reports and findings from each component were synthesised for inclusion in the overarching report (above).

Component reports:
Meyer, L., Joseph, T., Anderson-Smith, B., Blignault, I., Demasi, K., Lew Fatt, E. & Nathan S. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: Literature Review Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.
Ridoutt, L., Stanford, D., Blignault, I., Demasi, K. & Lew Fatt E. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: Secondary Data Workforce Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.
Bailey, J., Blignault, I., Carriage, C., Joseph, T., Naden, P., Nathan, S. & Renata, P. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: NSW Workplace Case Studies Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.
Demasi, K. & Lew Fatt, E. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: NT Workplace Case Studies Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.
Nathan, S., Joseph, T., Blignault, I., Bailey, J., Demasi, K., Newman, J. & Lew Fatt, E. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: National Survey Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.

Kelleher, K., Vale, C., Stanford, D., Ridoutt, L., Demasi, K. & Lew Fatt, E. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: National Career Trajectory Interview Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.

Soon to be available: Ridoutt, L., Demasi, K., Stanford, D., & Lew Fatt, E. 2020, Career Pathways for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce: National Stakeholder Interview Report, Career Pathways Project, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne.