The dental assistant workforce: Challenges and opportunities

With workforce shortages affecting a range of Australian industries, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) understands that challenges in hiring and retaining dental assistants are front of mind for practice operators – with some offering incentives to attract or retain staff above those legally required or customary.

To date, the ADA has pursued the following relevant opportunities:

- Participated in National Skills Commission labour market surveys, leading to dental assistants being included on the Commission’s Skills Priority List as an occupation in national shortage, with moderate future demand;

- Made representations to the Australian Government about enhancing temporary work visa eligibility via
proposed amendment of the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List;

- Promoted aspects of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives System, including employer subsidies, to ADA members through the website;

- Investigated applying through the Department of Home Affairs for creation of an Industry Labour Agreement covering dental assistants; and

- Arranged meetings with TAFE representatives to discuss promoting dental assisting qualifications and increasing commencement and completion rates.

This article discusses:

- under-utilised ways to reach potential candidates;

- Australian Government employer financial support for traineeships; and

- training delivered by the Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch. (For more on this program, go to the News Bulletin, September 2022.) 
 

Under-utilised ways to reach potential candidates

Recent job board advertisements may not be receiving the high levels of response posters hope for. This can particularly be the case for roles offering award salary rates, or roles suggestive of specialised qualifications or experience. A typical job seeker may presume that specialised qualifications or experience are needed for a dental assisting role and self-disqualify.

Employing a recent school leaver, or other candidate, while they complete a Dental Assisting qualification, may help your practice sidestep the current shortage, and potentially qualify for Government-funded employer financial incentives.

As a practical starting point for reaching motivated, but not necessarily qualified or experienced candidates, contacting your local school’s Career Counsellor, or a Workforce Australia Employment Service Provider, could be an option to consider if your advertising has been unsuccessful.

Another opportunity worth noting is that to address workforce shortages, until further notice, student visa work hours have been temporarily relaxed. Students can now work before their course of study commences and can now work more than 40 hours a fortnight in any sector of the economy.
 

Government-funded financial support for employers supporting traineeships

From 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024, the newly branded Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System (AAIS)
will provide support through wage subsidies for eligible employers in priority occupations.

Priority occupations are listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List – which now includes dental assistants. (While this category may be better described as a traineeship than an apprenticeship, the ADA is advised Dental Assisting has standing under the AAIS).

Employers of occupations on the Priority List may be eligible for wage subsidies of up to $6,000 per year (for the first two years), and additional employer incentives might be available, depending on eligibility characteristics of the employer and the staff member.

To explore if the AAIS program is right for your practice, please contact an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider in your region.

Your local AASN provider can help you determine your eligibility for employer incentive payments.