IRT and Groworx Solves Australia's Aged Care Staffing Crisis
IRT and Groworx Solves Australia's Aged Care Staffing Crisis
Leading aged care provider IRT implements innovative workforce strategy with Groworx International Recruitment Program by hiring Filipino care workers and nurses to overcome critical staffing shortages.
Leading aged care provider implements innovative workforce strategy with Filipino care workers to overcome critical staffing shortages
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 would workers come from into the future we already knew that domestic recruitment would be critical,” says Patrick Reid CEO of IRT.
Groworx facilitates offshore training for Cert III in Individual Support for Filipino care workers in the Philippines in partnership with the IRT Academy, ensuring workers arrive in Australia fully qualified.
Main Challenges of IRT
The aged care sector workforce shortage, exacerbated by an aging population and increasing demand for care services, forced IRT to rely heavily on expensive agency staff, leading to increased operational costs and inconsistent quality of care due to a transient workforce.
IRT also struggled to scale operations effectively to meet the growing service demand across diverse locations. Thus, they needed a sustainable, cost-effective solution to recruit, train, and retain skilled care workers while maintaining the highest standards of care.
In a nutshell, for IRT, this labour shortage meant:
High reliance on agency staff which proved costly for their operations.
Inconsistent quality of care due to a transient workforce.
Difficulty in scaling operations to meet the needs of their diverse facility locations in NSW and Queensland.
Thus, it is imperative for IRT to find a sustainable, cost-effective solution to recruit, train, and retain skilled care workers in countries like the Philippines while maintaining the highest standards of care.
How Groworx Delivered A Comprehensive End-to-End Service
A Comprehensive Workforce Strategy
Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, IRT’s CEO Patrick Reid partnered with Groworx in 2022 to design and implement a comprehensive workforce strategy.
Recruitment. Leveraging our global network to identify and hire qualified care workers from the Philippines. This means workers undergo a thorough scrutiny of their documentary requirements and are pre-vetted to select the best talent pool.
Offshore Training. Groworx facilitates offshore training for Cert III in Individual Support for Filipino care workers in the Philippines in partnership with the IRT Academy, ensuring workers arrive in Australia fully qualified.
Structured Deployment and Grouping. Deploying workers in manageable groups and assisting 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 is fully furnished, and rent is deducted through salary sacrifice, providing financial convenience for workers.
Ongoing Support. Groworx also provides 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.
How does the FILO Program work? Watch this video.
By offering continuous support to Filipino care workers, the community integration support also fostered job satisfaction and long-term retention.
Groworx leveraged its extensive network to identify and recruit qualified Filipino care workers from overseas, expanding the talent pool beyond the country’s local resources.
Filipino aged care workers train inside the IRT Academy to ensure they arrive in Australia fully qualified, trained, and culture fit for deployment.
Expanding the Talent Pool with Groworx
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.
Strategic Deployment by Meeting Diverse Needs
The most important aspect of the partnership is Groworx’s strategic deployment as Filipino carers workers as they were strategically deployed across IRT's diverse locations based on need, ensuring consistent staffing levels across all facilities.
The results of this partnership have been remarkable as it resulted to significant savings.
4-S Framework and RAMP 360 Platform Solutions
Through the Groworx’s 4-S Framework, which highlights Safety, Supported, Settled, Stay Framework, it prioritizes worker safety through education on protocols, employee rights, and accessible reporting channels. Using a proprietary RAMP360™ platform, the company provides 24/7 global assistance and updates, supporting both workers and employers.
To ensure a smooth transition, Groworx assists workers with settling into their new lives, from practicalities like banking to locating essential community resources. This support, combined with regular check-ins, contributes to as high as 99% worker retention rate in some facilities.
The transformational effects of Groworx approaches go beyond financial savings — that means your facility will also experience improved work culture and increased Healthcare delivery standards.
With the deployment of over 170 Filipino care workers and nurses to across 20 IRT facilities, staffing shortages were addressed with retention rates reaching an average of 98%.
IRT Saved millions of dollars with 98% Retention Rate
The IRT has saved millions of dollars annually by reducing its reliance on agency staff. The FILO Program also boasts a retention rate of 98%.
Out of the 158 workers deployed in 2024 only 4 workers have left their role mostly for personal reasons. This demonstrates the effectiveness of Groworx's comprehensive support and the value placed on care workers.
With a stable and well-trained workforce from the Philippines, IRT has seen a marked improvement in the consistency and quality of care provided to their residents and clients. It also improved care minutes in facilities as required by government compliances. The program's structured deployment model also allowed IRT to efficiently scale its workforce to meet growing demand.
Client Testimonial
“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.
Reid shares the reason they went to the Philippines is that he had experience with the World Bank in the Pacific, particularly in labour mobility in countries like Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and other Pacific countries.
For Reid, understanding the cohort of people in the Pacific region which he claims to be the same as the Philippines is the primary reason, they chose the Southeast Asian country. He adds that Filipino care workers are family-oriented and have a caring attitude with deep experience with the elderly. he adds that Filipinos have a strong proficiency in English which is very important in dealing with their residents.
“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,” Reid emphasized.
The Groworx International Recruitment Program has sent over 500 care workers and nurses across Australia and has become a model for solving the aged care workforce crisis.
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 organizations can build a sustainable workforce, improve the quality of care, and achieve significant cost savings.
Australia’s aged care sector faces a growing workforce crisis, but international recruitment offers a scalable, sustainable solution for providers of all sizes.
With falling birth rates & aging societies, population collapse triggers a silent aged care crisis. International talent is eyed as a key solution for sustainable elderly care worldwide.
Leading aged care provider implements innovative workforce strategy with Filipino care workers to overcome critical staffing shortages
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.
Main Challenges of IRT
The aged care sector workforce shortage, exacerbated by an aging population and increasing demand for care services, forced IRT to rely heavily on expensive agency staff, leading to increased operational costs and inconsistent quality of care due to a transient workforce.
IRT also struggled to scale operations effectively to meet the growing service demand across diverse locations. Thus, they needed a sustainable, cost-effective solution to recruit, train, and retain skilled care workers while maintaining the highest standards of care.
In a nutshell, for IRT, this labour shortage meant:
Thus, it is imperative for IRT to find a sustainable, cost-effective solution to recruit, train, and retain skilled care workers in countries like the Philippines while maintaining the highest standards of care.
How Groworx Delivered A Comprehensive End-to-End Service
A Comprehensive Workforce Strategy
Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, IRT’s CEO Patrick Reid partnered with Groworx in 2022 to design and implement a comprehensive workforce strategy.
This program we call the FILO (Filipino International Labour Opportunity) Program focuses on:
How does the FILO Program work? Watch this video.
By offering continuous support to Filipino care workers, the community integration support also fostered job satisfaction and long-term retention.
Groworx leveraged its extensive network to identify and recruit qualified Filipino care workers from overseas, expanding the talent pool beyond the country’s local resources.
Expanding the Talent Pool with Groworx
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.
Strategic Deployment by Meeting Diverse Needs
The most important aspect of the partnership is Groworx’s strategic deployment as Filipino carers workers as they were strategically deployed across IRT's diverse locations based on need, ensuring consistent staffing levels across all facilities.
The results of this partnership have been remarkable as it resulted to significant savings.
4-S Framework and RAMP 360 Platform Solutions
Through the Groworx’s 4-S Framework, which highlights Safety, Supported, Settled, Stay Framework, it prioritizes worker safety through education on protocols, employee rights, and accessible reporting channels. Using a proprietary RAMP360™ platform, the company provides 24/7 global assistance and updates, supporting both workers and employers.
To ensure a smooth transition, Groworx assists workers with settling into their new lives, from practicalities like banking to locating essential community resources. This support, combined with regular check-ins, contributes to as high as 99% worker retention rate in some facilities.
The transformational effects of Groworx approaches go beyond financial savings — that means your facility will also experience improved work culture and increased Healthcare delivery standards.
IRT Saved millions of dollars with 98% Retention Rate
The IRT has saved millions of dollars annually by reducing its reliance on agency staff. The FILO Program also boasts a retention rate of 98%.
Out of the 158 workers deployed in 2024 only 4 workers have left their role mostly for personal reasons. This demonstrates the effectiveness of Groworx's comprehensive support and the value placed on care workers.
With a stable and well-trained workforce from the Philippines, IRT has seen a marked improvement in the consistency and quality of care provided to their residents and clients. It also improved care minutes in facilities as required by government compliances. The program's structured deployment model also allowed IRT to efficiently scale its workforce to meet growing demand.
Client Testimonial
Reid shares the reason they went to the Philippines is that he had experience with the World Bank in the Pacific, particularly in labour mobility in countries like Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and other Pacific countries.
For Reid, understanding the cohort of people in the Pacific region which he claims to be the same as the Philippines is the primary reason, they chose the Southeast Asian country. He adds that Filipino care workers are family-oriented and have a caring attitude with deep experience with the elderly. he adds that Filipinos have a strong proficiency in English which is very important in dealing with their residents.
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 organizations can build a sustainable workforce, improve the quality of care, and achieve significant cost savings.
JM Agreda, corporate journalist at Groworx Global, crafts sharp, data-rich stories on healthcare staffing, guiding providers through the challenges of hiring and supporting international talent.
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