Five new Lilliane Brady Village (LBV) staff members, who have come to Australia from India, Papua New Guinea and Nepal to work, have enabled the aged care facility to now claim a ‘fully staffed’ status.
Council’s HR manager Summer Patterson said the LBV has long had to rely on agency nurses to meet their staff ratio requirements.
The five personal carers, who are all trained AINs (Assistants in Nursing), have been employed by Cobar Shire Council under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA).
“In March 2023, the Labor Government created the ACILA to address workforce shortages in the aged care sector.
“The agreement streamlined the process of recruiting qualified and experience care workers from overseas, who were excluded from other sponsorship programs due to the minimum salary requirements of those other programs,” Ms Patterson said.
While there were “a few catches” that came with the agreement, she said it was however a viable option for Council to pursue.
“A specialist recruitment agency that Council had worked with previously was awarded a funded Government contract to place 100 migrant workers in aged care facilities across the country.”
Ms Patterson said as migration law is complex and ever changing, it was of immense benefit to have the agency’s migration team assist with their labour agreement application.
“Once approved, their recruitment team referred a dozen care staff whose skills and experience aligned with Council’s job requirements, and we interviewed those candidates and proceeded to offer employment to five.
“Their migration agent then assisted with the sponsorship nomination process for each of those candidates.
“All five care staff are engaged on three year fixed term contracts in accordance with the conditions of the labour agreement.
“After two years of permanent employment, the employees will be eligible to apply for a permanent subclass 186 visa, and the potential for ongoing employment with the Lilliane Brady Village at the conclusion of their three years’ service,” Ms Patterson said.
“Without an agreement like this providing access to sponsorship pathways, Council simply wouldn’t be able to meet our staff ratio requirements at LBV and would still be heavily reliant on agency nurses.”
Council has had prior experience with sponsorship agreements prior to the ACILA, having successfully recruited five educators in the three years since Council took ownership of the Kubby child care centre and they have also recruited two registered nurses under the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA).
“These agreements form an integral part of our current and ongoing recruitment strategy because without sponsored workers, these essential services simply wouldn’t be able to operate,” Ms Patterson said.
“We are hopeful that these individuals, some of whom have relocated to Cobar with their families, make valuable connections within our amazing community during their tenure and elect to stay.”
All five staff have settled in well in to their roles at the LBV and, with the help of their local agency ambassadors organised through the Rotary Club of Cobar, they are also settling in well into our community.
Harmeet Sidhu came here with her husband Lovepreet (who has found work as a truck driver at Cobar Concrete).
They came to Australia in 2019 from India and began working and studying in Sydney and later Newcastle.
In addition to her AIN qualifications, Harmeet has a Bachelor of IT and is also studying for a Graduate Diploma in Childcare.
The couple enjoy living in Cobar saying the slower country lifestyle gives them more time to spend together.
Samantha Daniel came to Australia in 2022 from Papua New Guinea to study.
“My background is nursing,” Samantha said.
“Most of my family members live here so I basically wanted to move here with them and that’s how I ended up in Cobar.”
Samantha said she enjoys her role at LBV helping residents and also likes living in Cobar.
“I like the relaxing environment,” she said.
Sreska Sharma, who emigrated from Nepal to work in Australia, said she also welcomes the quiet life Cobar offers.
“Better work opportunities brought me to Australia, and my brother was already here in Sydney.”
Sreska completed her AIN studies in Sydney before moving to Cobar to take up a role at the LBV.
She likes bike riding, watching basketball and netball and is keen to become involved in the community.
Samundra K C, is also from Nepal.
Samundra said he had a choice to work in a couple of countries but it was Australia’s “relaxing environment” that appealed to him most.
“When I came to Australia, I realised that Australia needs skilled workers and that brought me into the aged care industry and I like it,” he said.
Samundra’s wife also works as an AIN at the LBV.
In their spare time they take their young son to Drummond Park and the youth centre, go for walks and like to try different foods.
Samundra said he was very grateful to the Australian Government and Cobar Shire Council to have been given the opportunity to work in Cobar.
Prajwal Kharel told The Cobar Weekly he came to Australia to further his studies.
“There are better job opportunities here than in Nepal,” Prajwal said.
“I first came out to Sydney, then to Gold Coast for a few years and after that I got sponsored by Cobar Shire Council.
“Here is nice and quiet and the people are welcoming,” Prajwal said.
“I go to the Youthie and play cricket on the weekends.
“My wife is here as well.”
