A robotic dog named Birt welcomed three Australian Senators to the City of Innovation on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Birt particularly helps people with dementia and is involved in one of many IRT Group initiatives attracting interest around Australia.
Senators Rachel Siewert, Jonathon Duniam and Helen Polley are in Wollongong for a public hearing on the Future of Australia’s Age Care Workforce Inquiry and requested a meeting at IRT College to find out more about the groundbreaking work it is doing. They met students, trainers and chief executives and heard about cutting-edge technology IRT is piloting for the future including virtual reality.
Jacqui Muir, 16, and Cheyenne Benn, 17, both study aged care and are doing work placements while in high school. In the process they get a Certificate III in Aged Care that can give them a pathway to working in the field and university.
The Senators heard how IRT College is retraining people from other industries to work in aged care. It calls it encore career training. “I think it is very important to talk to those people who are training the new workforce going into this sector and to hear their wonderful ideas and also what they are doing as far as IT is concerned,” Sen Polley said.
Sen Duniam said it was great to hear about the important role Birt was playing as well as other interactive apps helping people with things like dementia. “It is quite exciting to see the innovation in this area,” he said.
Sen Siewert said it was good to see IRT working with young people. “One of the things we have heard through the inquiry is it is really hard to attract young people and here we have two excellent examples of people who are really keen. They will be great ambassadors going forward”.
Miss Muir said she wanted to get into public health. “When I heard about this aged care school based traineeship I knew I would get a Cert III at the end of it so it was a chance to get my foot in the door for uni. I really love it”.
Miss Benn said she was interested in school based training as a pathway for a career in aged care which she sees as exciting.
Chief executive Nieves Murray and the IRT Group team told the Senators about a number of inter-generational programs that are not just about training.
“For the Senators conducting this inquiry to actually want to spend time with us I think is testament to some of the innovation that we are driving through the organisation. And it is great that Wollongong is able to showcase that,” she said.
“We are a national organisation so for the Senators it is important to tap into an organisation that is touching most of the areas they are looking into. So I think that is an advantage for them visiting us”.
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
