Is community services a good career?
Simply, yes! If you’re a compassionate person, wanting to make a difference in your community then this is the industry for you. Working in the community services industry is one of the most rewarding career paths.
To help decide if this sector is for you, we have put together 4 reasons why working in community services is a great career path.
1. Make a difference
As a community services worker, every day is different as you provide much-needed support and assistance to those in need. From the ground up, you will play a direct role in your clients’ lives as you help them in creating a brighter future. The impact you will make on clients’ lives will be as visible as night and day.
As Winston Churchill once said,
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
2. Explore what’s available
If you’re unsure what role to specialise in, don’t worry! Unlike other careers, you will have the ability to explore a variety of roles. The community services industry has an assortment of client areas available and our students are encouraged to try them all until you find the right fit.
A few areas include:
- Health care
- Aged care
- Child Care
- Refugees
- Social assistance
- Public administration and safety
- Rehabilitation
- Social work
- Mental health
3. It’s never too late
It’s never too late to change career paths! Age is no barrier – The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported in 2009 that the health and community services workforce became older between 2001 and 2006. Since then this figure has continued to grow and currently, the average age of community workers is 45 years old according to the Australian Government’s, Job Outlook website.
We are also noticing with the flexibility of studying a diploma online, lots of parents and full-time workers are opting to upskill their current skillset and change career paths. In a recent article called, ‘4 Reasons to Study a Diploma’ we discuss why studying a diploma is a great career choice. You can read this article here.
4. Flexible working environment
With the rapid growth of the community services industry, workers are in high demand nationwide. This means job availabilities in cities, rural, regional areas and basically anywhere in Australia with a community.
In addition to the abundance of job opportunities throughout Australia, there is also the option for flexible working hours. Some community service roles operate on a 24/7 basis and require staff to work odd hours of the day/night. This means workers can look for jobs that work around their schedule is flexible in nature.
Photo: Students in our CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services course undertake a manual handling class at our Brisbane campus
Studying our CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services is a great opportunity to catapult into a rewarding career with excellent job prospects. According to the Australian Government’s, Job Outlook website, the health care and social assistance industry is Australia’s largest and fastest-growing industry. This industry is also projected to have the strongest employment growth of any industry over the next 5 years, to May 2023.
One of our CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services graduates, Sarah Drager recently said,
“I really enjoyed studying the Diploma of Community Services at Sarina Russo Institute. I found the online learning offered me flexibility to choose the hours that best fit my family life because it was available to me 24/7.
Another part of the course I really liked was the professional conversations online which was like a classroom in the comfort of my own home. It allowed me to work together with my fellow students and my trainer. It was a great opportunity to share knowledge, ask questions and connect. My trainer would give us examples of real workplace scenarios that helped cement my learning in these sessions. This was particularly helpful during my Vocational Placement because I could completely relate to what my trainer was saying.”
Career prospects from this course can lead to jobs such as a caseworker or manager, client service manager, community services worker, welfare worker, senior youth officer and group coordinator, to name a few. To read more about our CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services course, please visit: https://www.sri.edu.au/domestic/courses/diploma-programs/chc52015-diploma-community-services/
