A new report finds the NDIS workforce will need to grow by 83,000 full-time staff in two years.

The report presented to parliament this week says Australia’s disability workforce currently has 270,000 workers across 20 different skill sets, but will need to grow by an extra 83,000 staff to support the predicted 500,000 participants within two years.

However, it finds that attracting workers to the NDIS is extremely challenging, because the sector is seen as overworked, underpaid, undervalued and poorly trained.

The report made eight recommendations on improving the disability workforce, including increasing workforce data collection, enhancing employment within the NDIS for people with disabilities, providing more student placement opportunities and providing appropriate upskilling initiatives.

“Ambitious action is needed to adequately address issues in the NDIS workforce,” NDIS committee chair Kevin Andrews told parliament.

Opposition health spokesperson Bill Shorten says there are clear problems within the disability workforce and the lack of forward planning to fix it.

“If we want to attract more people it’s not just about providing more training, it’s about providing more remuneration,” he told parliament.

“These people work with their brains, their hands and their hearts. We shouldn’t be asking disability care workers to subsidise the safety net of disability care in this nation.”