According to a new survey, more than a fifth of young Australians want to work in health care, care for the elderly and disability.
More than 5,000 young people – 75 per cent of whom were aged 20 and under – took part in a survey conducted on the Skillsroad career counseling website, with 21 per cent of respondents identifying health as an industry in which they plan to work.
This is good news for graduates of the North Shore Royal Hospital nurse, 21-year-old Megan Fenelli, who said they are always looking for new people.
“We need more people in the health sector,” Ms. Feneli said.
“So many nurses burned out very quickly because they worked overtime because of Kovid.
“They just had to stay and work until 4pm a day … I know a lot of people decided to leave the healthcare profession because it became too much.”
Ms. Fennelli feels that young people like her are bringing a new perspective and are well prepared to cope with the pressures of work.
“I feel that young people can really develop resilience pretty quickly,” she said.
“Younger and fresher faces are good, especially if they’re out of university, because they’ve got that knowledge that they can expand on right away, and that’s more up-to-date knowledge.”
She was surprised that young people are reaching out to the profession, acknowledging that it can be demanding, with a 24/7 schedule and the implications of Covid-19, but said the work is “very rewarding”.
“You can be close to people, which can be in some of the most difficult or scary moments of their lives.
“It’s really special to see them improve over time, and it’s very helpful to say that I was the one who helped them get there.”
Another common topic among the respondents was that almost half are not sure that they will be able to get a job in their chosen field.
NSW Business CEO Daniel Hunter said the advantage of working in healthcare is that new employees are in demand.
“Mental health problems among young people were common during the pandemic, and many have lost confidence,” Mr Hunter said.
“There is a large labor shortage in the health sector, and young people are attracted to stable industries with better long-term career prospects and career opportunities.”
