Almost half of Australians aged 16-85 have experienced a mental health disorder at some point in their lives, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics*.

This means a large proportion of your workforce has, or will, experience mental health challenges in their life.

It is a statistic that is sobering, hard to ignore, and should be taken into consideration when building standard workplace training to ensure we are creating safe and respectful workplaces for all.

“Having mental health first aid available and imbedded into workplace culture, people feel safer, more valued, and more engaged. A workplace that prioritises this doesn’t just strengthen well-being, it fosters trust, inclusivity and encourages open conversations. In turn, this creates a more connected team and a workplace where people can thrive,’’ genU training General Manager Nikki Noack said.

These are all results evidenced by recent genU Training Workplace Mental Health First Aid graduates at STATUS – read their case study here.

genU Training sits under the genU banner nationally, which has merged with Activ Foundation in WA. They educate thousands of Australians each year and are a social enterprise, certified by Social Traders, opening opportunities to deliver corporate training alongside social procurement goals.

genU Training’s suite of options includes nationally accredited qualifications, short courses and microcredentials.

genU Training’s Workplace Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) short course aims to create higher levels of empathy in workplaces and gives staff the skills, confidence, and practical tools to help colleagues who may be struggling with mental health issues.

“We don’t think twice about ensuring we have trained first aiders in our workplace, yet mental health support is just as vital, and we need to give the same level of importance to mental health first aid,” Mrs Noack said.

“We want to help workplaces create environments where staff have the knowledge and tools they need to support one another when they see one of their co-workers struggling or to be able to ask for help themselves.”

And operating as a social enterprise, the genU Training motto ‘Education for Good’ has a flow-on effect through its social impact.

“We invest our surplus back into our communities, by choosing genU training to train your staff not only benefits you but also has a positive impact for people in your community,” Mrs Noack said.

Find out more about genU Training’s Mental Health First Aid course here.

 

*ABS – National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing – 2020-2022 – 42.9% of people aged 16–85 years had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life.