Maree Healey is the Chief People & Culture Officer at Warrigal, where she leads a broad portfolio encompassing Learning & Development, Culture, Talent Acquisition & Recruitment, Employee Relations/Industrial Relations, Volunteers and Clinical Education. Maree joined Warrigal in 2016 and previously led the Employee Relations/Industrial Relations portfolio. Prior to this, Maree worked in the industrial services sector (specialised maintenance, construction, engineering and project delivery service). Maree is passionate about building inclusive, connected workplaces, where people feel known, valued, and empowered to thrive.
Pathways with purpose: Engaging the next generation in aged care
Precis
Attracting the next generation to the aged care industry is essential to ensuring a sustainable, skilled, and values-aligned workforce. In response, Warrigal has implemented two entry level pathways designed to foster early interest and long-term commitment to the sector: the Assistant Care Employee (“ACE”) Program and Undergraduate Nurse Program.
Commencing in 2022, the ACE Program provides high school students, particularly those in Years 10 to 12, with a practical introduction to aged care. ACEs do not provide personal care, rather that perform general duties to support our care staff, including assisting with meals and refreshments, preparing light refreshments, and importantly offering emotional and social support to customers and residents, to allow our care staff to deliver high quality care. This hands-on experience provides young people with an initial exposure to a career in aged care, whilst supporting our vision: a world where older people feel known, loved, and connected.
This program now operates across eight of our Residential Care Homes. Several ACEs have progressed into personal care and undergraduate nursing roles, critical pathways in strengthening our future ready workforce.
Complementing this is our Undergraduate Nurse Program, which supports students enrolled in a Bachelor or Master of Nursing. Through clinical placements, targeted education, and competency assessment, Undergraduate Nurses gain valuable experience whilst completing their study. Successful graduates are encouraged to join Warrigal’s Graduate Registered Nurse Program, creating a clear career pathway continuum.
These programs have contributed to a demographic shift across our workforce, with 12% of employees now aged 18-24, and 31% aged 25-34. The average age of our staff is 39 years of age, ten years younger than the national average reported in the 2024 Aged Care Worker Survey.
More importantly, we are cultivating a pipeline of young, skilled, and passionate professionals committed to aged care.
This session will explore how Warrigal is building a future ready workforce through structured, supported, and meaningful pathways. We will share insights on what makes these programs successful, including early exposure, dedicated support, and a strong alignment to purpose. As the sector faces increasing challenges in attracting and retaining talent, Warrigal’s experience offers a practical solution for engaging the aged care workforce of tomorrow.