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Summary of Report
The Counties Manukau DHB commissioned research (2008) to look at attracting Maori, Pacific people and males to a health career at a "mid-career" stage, where "mid career" was defined as 25-45 year olds. The research is being used to guide next steps with respect to enabling this segment of the potential health workforce to begin training for a health career. For a copy of the full report please email Jenna.Clarke@middlemore.co.nz.
Overview
The Report discusses the current situation where, as school leavers, working in health is typically not a consideration across all ethnicities unless a health role model exists within the family who encourages a career in health. Strong unappealing and/or unattainable stereotypes of working in health exist and act as a barrier. An additional barrier for Maori and Pacific peoples is their perception that they don’t ‘belong’ working in health. Hospitals in their minds are ‘white’, culturally insensitive and intimidating institutions. Very few aspirational Maori and Pacific health role models exist in their communities to challenge these stereotypes and to promote working in health.
At the mid-career stage, working in health is still considered out of reach or unappealing by most. This research identified that there is a small group of people who are more open to working in health and may be contemplating or even preparing for a change in career to health. This more open audience is a prime target for the CMDHB Mid-Career Project.
This Report also canvasses the main barriers that make difficult for individuals to turn their idea of working in health into a reality at the mid-career stage,especially for Maori and Pacific peoples and males who have a family tosupport. Three key facilitators to helping propel people along the pathway from contemplating a mid-career change to making it happen are discussed.
The Key Focus areas for the CMDHB’s Mid-Career Project are:
- Help this audience to clarify exactly what health occupation they wish to train for.
- Help to build this audience’s (especially the Maori and Pacific audience’s) confidence so they believe changing to health is possible
- Help to break down the financial and logistical barriers to changing to health mid-career.
- Personal career guidance -Encouragement, guidance, mentoring and ongoing support for those interested in making a change to health.
- Close collaboration with tertiary institutions.
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