The Albanese Labor Government is investing $30.8 million to attract and support more than 6,000 extra skilled aged care workers in rural and regional Australia.
Regardless of where older Australians live or the type of care they need, everyone deserves safe, dignified and accessible care.
To deliver that, we need to make sure our dedicated aged care workforce is supported to work in every corner of Australia.
This announcement builds on the almost $18 billion the Albanese Government has already invested to improve the wages of aged care workers so they can keep delivering the high-quality care older Australians deserve.
The Regional, Rural and Remote Home Care Workforce Support Program will receive $20.5 million. This initiative will provide support services and initiatives for providers to attract, train and retain home care workers.
This will support up to 4,000 additional personal care workers to provide home care and progress in their careers.
A further $10.3 million investment in the Aged Care Transition to Practice Program will also help increase nursing capability in regional, rural and remote locations.
The program will equip up to 2,125 registered and enrolled nurses with the skills to provide specialised high-quality care to older people and encourage more dedicated nurses into aged care.
This package is another crucial part of Labor’s work to deliver once in a generation reforms to aged care.
Essential for building the high-quality, respectful and sustainable system older Australians deserve, is a stable, well-trained workforce.
Labor will always put workers at the forefront of our plans to raise the standard of aged care in Australia.
For more information, visit Aged Care Transition to Practice Program.
Aged care providers located in eligible regions are encouraged to participate. For more information visit Home Care Workforce Support Program.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae:
“Our Government values the critical role workers play in the aged care sector and we want them to be able to deliver high-quality care in every part of the country.
“We want dedicated, passionate people to join the sector, to stay and help deliver the care our loved ones deserve regardless of where they live. This announcement will make that more achievable for thousands of workers.
“Every older Australian deserves access to high-quality aged care, regardless of where they live or the type of care they need.
"Our investment in regional and rural aged care workers means that more older Australians will get the support they need, when and where they need it."
Quotes attributable to Edna Odhiambo, Graduate Enrolled Nurse (Whiddon Residential Care, Kelso NSW) who completed the program in February 2025 and aspires to remain in aged care as a registered nurse:
“The transition to practice program significantly enhanced my clinical skills, theoretical knowledge and professional confidence. We were very lucky to have the best health practitioners, nurse educators and leaders advocating for us to be the best aged care nurses we can be.
“Completing this program is an achievement I am proud of. It felt good to put into practice what I have learned and be able to make a real and positive impact on people’s lives every day.”
Quote attributable to North and West Remote Health, Home Care Workforce Support Program provider servicing over 50 communities throughout rural, regional and remote QLD:
“Regional, rural and remote training programs through the Home Care Workforce Support Program enabled us to address skills gaps in our region where there aren’t many aged care service providers. The impact on the local community was significant.”