Evaluating the Indigenous Health Workforce Traineeship program

The Department of Health and Aged Care commissioned Outpost Consulting to evaluate the Indigenous Health Workforce Traineeship (IHWT) program. The program funds traineeships for First Nations people working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health services (ACCHSs). It helps these services employ more qualified staff and provide more culturally appropriate care.

Our evaluation took a co-design approach. We analysed program data and reviewed the policy context and similar programs. We then interviewed the services which administer the program, along with the trainees themselves and other stakeholders. We tested our findings at a validation workshop with the community-controlled sector and the RTOs they run, and worked with them to design the recommendations. Our report set out a proposed model for a future traineeship program, covering co-design with the sector, clear program priorities, building RTO and ACCHS capacity, supporting trainees, and ongoing shared learning.