Accredited online and on-campus courses from leading Australian universities, TAFEs and colleges
13
Have a real and immediate impact on the lives of vulnerable Australians and build a rewarding career by studying a community services course.
You care deeply about people and want a career where you can make a real difference. Practical, professional and rewarding, a career in community services gives you the opportunity to work hands-on with marginalised people, helping them improve their quality of life and gain access to a brighter future.
In an increasingly volatile and unstable world, vulnerable people are at a significant risk of being excluded from meaningfully participating in society. By working in community services, you’ll play a critical leading role in bridging the gap and ensuring vulnerable Australians have the tools, support and abilities to live meaningful, engaged and rewarding lives.
Covering a diverse range of roles, the community service sector enables professionals to work in a variety of areas. After completing a community services course, you may choose to work in a range of fields, including aged care, disability services, mental health counselling, emergency relief, housing or youth services.
As a community service worker, you’ll work closely with clients to identify the unique challenges they face, and design interventions and activities to best support the client and their community. With the client at the centre of your care, you’ll also tackle issues within a broader social context, and address issues including poverty, unemployment, domestic violence and discrimination.
If you’re passionate about the rights of all people and want to work to make a difference, a career in community services is for you.
You may study a community services course as a certificate or diploma course, or as a bachelor’s or master’s degree. After completing your qualification, you’ll likely seek employment as a community worker, and work closely with individuals and communities to ensure they can meet their own needs.
As a community service worker, you’ll work closely with vulnerable people and their communities to provide support, advice and assistance on a range of social, emotional and welfare matters. You’ll also be responsible for coordinating the services of a variety of different agencies and stakeholders in your client’s life.
Community service workers can work across a broad range of sectors, and as a result, your day-to-day tasks will depend on the field in which you’re working. However, you can expect to perform tasks like:
Community service is a broad field, and graduates of community service courses may enjoy seeking employment in a range of support and client-focused roles in areas such as:
You may pursue work in a range of different roles, including:
You’ll thrive working in community services if you:
The Australian Government’s Job Outlook reports that the community sector in Australia is large and growing. Currently employing approximately 60,900 people, the industry is expected to grow significantly until at least 2020, where it will employ approximately 72,500 people. Job Outlook reports that employment opportunities in this sector have been growing steadily over the last decade, and expects the community sector will contribute up to one in four new jobs in Australia this decade.
PayScale reports that graduates of community services courses can expect to earn a salary between $37,000 and $56,000 per year, with an average industry salary of approximately $49,000 per year. While a positive relationship exists between experience and earning capacity, PayScale notes that entry-level community workers can still earn a competitive average salary of approximately $48,000 per year.
PayScale notes that approximately 80 per cent of community workers have less than 10 years of work experience, indicating that people move from this profession as their careers progress. After gaining experience as a community worker, you may choose to work in a more senior role in management or administration or become involved in policy development.
