From V8 Supercars pit crew to local driving superhero, Bruce Robertson is just one of Comlink Australia’s employees who has shown that a diverse career background and a great attitude is the perfect combination to succeed in the aged care industry.

Sunday 7 August marked national Aged Care Employee Day and local community service provider, Comlink Australia, has taken the opportunity to recognise the tireless efforts of their staff over the past challenging eighteen months, as well as launch a state wide campaign to recruit a range of people across all of their Queensland delivery areas in order to combat the national skills shortage crisis in aged-care.

Comlink Australia CEO, Liam Mayo, was keen to thank all staff for their commitment to care and their ability to adapt, and recognises that one of the key strengths of their current workforce is the unique lived experience that many employees bring to their job.

“Bruce has been with us for eight years and started as a volunteer driver, and he had never imagined that he would end up working full-time in the aged care sector,” said Mr Mayo.

“Having been in pit crews for some well-established drivers in Australian V8 Supercars, worked offshore on oil rigs and on construction sites, Bruce entertains our clients with his stories of being a dare devil but also has a great sense of compassion.”

“It is a personality like Bruce that creates a rich and diverse cultural framework for our organisation.”

A qualified mechanic who has his skydiving licence and spends his weekends on his jetski or motorbike, Mr Robertson states that he thoroughly enjoys spending time with clients as he drives them to appointments or activities.

“I don’t use an alarm clock to get out of bed, as I am actually looking forward to going to work every day,” said Mr Robertson.

“There is a great deal of satisfaction in this work as you know that you are making a real difference in people’s lives and they are clearly grateful to you for that.”

Aged-care workers currently care for more than 1.3 million Australians, both in the home and in residential settings and like many service providers in the sector, Comlink Australia has witnessed increasing pressure being placed on service delivery with an industry shortage of workers.

Mr Mayo explained that it is a critical time for the industry and the recent recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, while critically important, further add to demand with the need for more care at a higher quality. 

“If the workforce continues expanding at its current glacial pace, estimates say that within the next decade there will be a shortage of 110,000 direct aged-care workers, and by 2050 more than 400,000 workers – something that Comlink Australia is seeking to be proactive about,” said Mr Mayo.

“We wish to be an industry leader in recruitment and as such we are offering a flexible workplace that offers a manageable work / life balance and is ready to welcome people from all walks of life.”

“We have a real focus on training and investing in professional development to ensure an easy transition into the industry and attract people who are just starting out or who are mid-career.”

With more than 30 years of delivering community services to the Sunshine Coast region, Comlink Australia is not new to these types of industry challenges, but has always maintained that a listening ear and the ability to be agile is important to delivering on the company’s mission to enrich the lives of older Australians.

“We understand that these industry challenges can’t be met with a single solution and we do believe that expanding on our already strong and dependable team will address a number of key issues,” said Mr Mayo.

To apply for a role at Comlink Australia visit www.comlinkaustralia.com.au or email eoi@comlinkaustralia.com.au

Aged Care Employee Day is a national day which is registered with awarenessdays.com and acknowledges the more than 360,000 people who care for and support around 1.3 million older Australians who receive aged care services.

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Media contact: Helen Perry, Fresh PR & Marketing | P: 0431 065 964 | E: helen@freshprm.com.au