Filling skills gaps in the care sector
The Hero Foundation sits at the centre of Australia’s care sector talent pipeline.
We partner with training organisations preparing people for support roles, and with NDIS providers, aged care organisations, and community employers looking for reliable, work-ready staff. We bring the two together.
For employers
Finding good support workers is one of the hardest hiring challenges in Australia. Providers post roles and receive hundreds of applications: many of them unsuitable. The candidates who do get hired often leave within months. Annual turnover in the NDIS workforce runs between 17% and 25%, roughly three times the national average.*
That means a permanent recruitment burden: constant advertising, constant onboarding, and disrupted care for the people who need it most.
*NDS Workforce Census Report 2024; Workforce Innovation and Development Institute (WIDI).
For training organisations
Preparing candidates for work is only half the challenge. You’ve also got to connect them to employers consistently, at scale, without relying on personal networks or time-consuming outreach.
Most training organisations have strong relationships with a handful of employers. But participants need access to a much wider pool, and building that takes time and resources that most programmes don’t have.
The Hero Foundation solves problems on both sides
We give employers access to a pipeline of pre-vetted, trained, motivated candidates they wouldn’t find through traditional hiring. And we give training organisations a direct channel to a large network of employers who are actively looking for people just like their participants.
For employers
We introduce you to candidates who’ve already completed structured pre-employment training, passed their screening requirements, and are genuinely committed to a career in support work. You get a curated shortlist, not a stack of resumes.
For training organisations
We register your participants on the Employment Hero platform and connect them directly to our employer network. Every application they make is flagged and followed up. For your most engaged candidates, we make direct introductions to employers who are actively hiring.
Why Hero Foundation support workers are different
They’ve already done the training
Our candidates come through structured pre-employment programmes run by registered training providers. Before we introduce them to an employer, they’ve covered disability sector fundamentals, NDIS context, manual handling, documentation, and the behavioural skills the role actually demands.
They’re screening-ready
Candidates in our network have confirmed their eligibility to obtain an NDIS Worker Screening Check, have completed the NDIS Worker Orientation Module (“Quality, Safety and You”), and hold or are obtaining a current police check.
They’re committed to the sector
Many of our candidates have chosen care work deliberately, and have often overcome significant barriers to get here. That kind of commitment often leads to stronger retention.
They’ve got a support network behind them
Training organisations stay connected with our candidates after placement. If questions come up in those first weeks, there’s a support network in place for the candidate and for the employer.
See the Hero Foundation in action
The organisations behind our candidates
Our care sector candidates come through partnerships with training organisations running purpose-built pre-employment programmes.
Generation Australia
Generation Australia runs free, structured pre-employment programmes combining technical training with employment readiness support. Graduates are competitively screened before training begins, meaning every candidate has actively chosen this path and demonstrated commitment. They arrive job-ready, briefed on employer expectations, and supported through their transition into work.
Disability Support Worker Foundations Programme — a free five-week programme covering NDIS context, manual handling, active support, documentation, and managing challenging behaviour. Participants are also given training on communication, empathy, adaptability, and resilience.
Aged Care Programme — prepares candidates for entry-level roles in residential and community aged care, covering personal care, safe food handling, infection control, and the interpersonal skills that underpin quality care. Through our partnership with Generation Australia, we have supported candidates into support worker roles across both programmes.
Connecting top candidates to top care roles
Submit this form and our team will be in touch. We’ll take the time to understand your vacancies or participants, and connect you with work-ready candidates who are trained, screened, and ready to start, or inclusive employers, eager to take on your people.
Register your interest
We would love to hear from you – whether your organisation wants to get involved or you simply want to learn more. Complete this form and we will reach out to you shortly