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Expanding and strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professional workforce is recognised as crucial for improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Career Pathways Project (CPP) took a national perspective and aimed to provide insights and guidance to enhance the capacity of the health system to retain and support the development and careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health workforce. This report concerns only one component of the broader CPP, i.e. the analysis of available secondary data on the workforce. The CPP was initiated by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCHOs) and has leadership at all levels by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander investigators, partners and field researchers. The project was funded by the Lowitja Institute and is a partnership between UNSW Sydney and Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), and includes other participating institutions. The CPP had a national focus through a survey, literature review and analysis of existing workforce data, as well as interviews conducted nationwide and consultations with key stakeholders at multiple levels. Local case study sites in New South Wales (NSW) and the Northern Territory (NT) provided perspectives from diverse urban, regional and remote areas. An important deliverable from this project is to share learnings from these NSW and NT local case study sites with other states and territories so they may utilise the approach and or adapt as needed.

The CPP incorporated a mixed-methods design drawing upon both quantitative and qualitative data to generate evidence and collect data from multiple sources (workers, employers, stakeholders). It has multiple levels of focus (service organisation, operational support, and broader jurisdictional and national level) to consider the implications of the findings for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health professionals' career development and pathways. This analysis explored five main sources of data: (1) Australian Bureau of Statistics Population Census data; (2) Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) higher education statistics; (3) National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) vocational education statistics; (4) Commonwealth Department of Health (Workforce Branch) registration authority data; and (5) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) ACCHO Services data. The analysis attempted to provide answers to the following three of the nine research questions: What factors facilitate Aboriginal health workforce career development and career advancement? What factors impede Aboriginal health workforce career development and career advancement? What is the influence of jurisdiction, sector, and discipline/profession on career progression, and what aspects of these influences are specific to the Aboriginal health workforce or the health workforce as a whole?

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Expanding and strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professional workforce is recognised as crucial for improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Career Pathways Project (CPP) took a national perspective and aimed to provide insights and guidance to enhance the capacity of the health system to retain and support the development and careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health workforce. This report details only the method and findings from the individual career trajectory interviews. The interviews aimed to collect data from workers and managers from willing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and government health service organisations in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. The CPP was initiated by ACCHOs and has leadership at all levels by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander investigators, partners and field researchers. The project was funded by the Lowitja Institute and is a partnership between UNSW Sydney and Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), and includes other participating institutions. The CPP had a national focus through a survey, literature review and analysis of existing workforce data, as well as interviews conducted nationwide and consultations with key stakeholders at multiple levels. Local case study sites in New South Wales (NSW) and the Northern Territory (NT) provided perspectives from diverse urban, regional and remote areas. An important deliverable from this project is to share learnings from these NSW and NT local case study sites with other states and territories so they may utilise the approach and or adapt as needed.

The CPP incorporated a mixed-methods design drawing upon both quantitative and qualitative data to generate evidence and collect data from multiple sources (workers, employers, stakeholders). It has multiple levels of focus (service organisation, operational support, and broader jurisdictional and national level) to consider the implications of the findings for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health professionals' career development and pathways. Key questions the project answers include: What are the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals in entering, and progressing, their careers within health services? What factors facilitate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce career development and career advancement? What factors impede Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce career development and career advancement? What are the unique skill sets and values that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals can, and do, contribute to health services? What can employers do to make a difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce career development and advancement?

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Expanding and strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professional workforce is recognised as crucial for improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The is the final report of the Career Pathways Project (CPP), which took a national perspective and aimed to provide insights and guidance to enhance the capacity of the health system to retain and support the development and careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health workforce. The CPP was initiated by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCHOs) and has leadership at all levels by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander investigators, partners and field researchers. The project was funded by the Lowitja Institute and is a partnership between UNSW Sydney and Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), and includes other participating institutions. The CPP had a national focus through a survey, literature review and analysis of existing workforce data, as well as interviews conducted nationwide and consultations with key stakeholders at multiple levels. Local case study sites in New South Wales (NSW) and the Northern Territory (NT) provided perspectives from diverse urban, regional and remote areas. An important deliverable from this project is to share learnings from these NSW and NT local case study sites with other states and territories so they may utilise the approach and or adapt as needed.

The CPP incorporated a mixed-methods design drawing upon both quantitative and qualitative data to generate evidence and collect data from multiple sources (workers, employers, stakeholders). It has multiple levels of focus (service organisation, operational support, and broader jurisdictional and national level) to consider the implications of the findings for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health professionals' career development and pathways. Key questions the project answers include: What are the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals in entering, and progressing, their careers within health services? What factors facilitate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce career development and career advancement? What factors impede Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce career development and career advancement? What are the unique skill sets and values that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff and health professionals can, and do, contribute to health services? What can employers do to make a difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce career development and advancement?

On the basis of the project findings, the research team identified five contributing factors, or pillars of action, for successful careers. General and specific strategies are suggested within each pillar. Many strategies are multifaceted and multilayered, require the engagement of one or more capacity-building pillars, and involve one or more key groups. These groups include workers, communities (such as families or health service organisations), peak community and professional organisations, training and education providers, and health systems (including funding bodies). Collaboration and partnership between jurisdictions, sectors, professional groups and communities is essential to retain, support and develop Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander careers in the health workforce. The pillars are: (1) leadership and self-determination; (2) cultural safety; (3) valuing cultural strengths; (4) investment in the workforce and workplace; and (5) education and training.

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