Tasmania’s aged-care sector employs about 11,000 people, with four in five workers either in casual or part-time employment.

Like their clients, the workforce is also ageing with a worker’s average age set at 48.5 years.

State Growth Minister Matthew Groom, who launched the project with Aged and Community Services Tasmania, said the hub would provide training, development, and recruitment advice.

ASCT chief executive Darren Mathewson said the hub would be valuable for job-seekers, employers, registered training organisations, and the existing aged-care services workforce.

A Senate inquiry was established in 2015 to look at the future needs of the aged-care workforce but lapsed before last year’s election.

ASCT submitted to the inquiry that the state had the fastest ageing population and the oldest median age of all states.

It said that 17 per cent of the state’s population would be aged over 65 by 2021 and this would grow by 10 per cent by 2056.

Mr Mathewson said to meet current demand, the workforce would need to grow by more than 4000 over the next five years without acknowledging the workers likely to leave the industry within that time.

In a submission to the inquiry, he said a lack of consistent and adequate funding from the federal government for the sector and workforce initiatives needed to be addressed.

Services union United Voice recommended in its submission that the government reinstate a specific aged-care workforce fund.

There are 4987 residential aged-care places in Tasmania and 1861 home care places. There are more than 1500 retirement living units in the state.

More than 20,000 Tasmanians are assisted in their home through the Commonwealth Home Support Program.