The entry requirements to study community & well-being will vary based on the course you want. Academic requirements will differ between educational institutions and the level of study you undertake. For the most accurate information, you should view the course information on the institution’s website.
Typically, you’ll need to have an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12) or the overseas equivalent to complete an undergraduate degree.
For postgraduate courses, satisfactory completion of an undergraduate degree is required. However, some institutions may take relevant work experience or research ability into consideration as well.
For Vocational Education and Training (VET) Courses, most students will need to have reached a level of study equivalent to the Australian Year 10. Some courses may require extra prerequisite subjects or work experience.
When studying community and well-being in Australia, there are several skills that will help you be the community support worker you can be. While some things can be learned, these are some intrinsic skills you should possess, or be willing to work on:
If you are passionate about the community and helping people in need, you’ll likely flourish in a community and well-being course. If you would describe yourself as empathetic, compassionate and non-judgmental, you have the right skills to be a successful and thriving community support worker.
You do, however, need strong emotional resilience and the ability to cope under pressure, as community service roles often require you to deal with cases of violence, substance abuse, homelessness and child welfare. You will learn how to handle this in your training, but it’s important you feel confident in your skills and ability to deal with difficult situations.
There are also many career opportunities in community and well-being, as well as plenty of opportunities for career progression. From child protection to age care, the community and well-being field is wide, and in some cases, it’s possible to switch paths within the sector without having to undertake extra formal study.
There are several pathways to study community & well-being courses, from TAFE certificates to university-level degrees. To find the best course in Australia, you need to decide where you want your community and well-being career to take you, while also considering your current level of knowledge and any previous study you’ve done.
Here are some of the different community and well-being courses available in Australia:
There are several career pathways following a community and well-being course. Here are some potential jobs:
Victoria University, Australian National University, Griffith University, James Cook University, Macquarie University and the University of Sydney are some of Australia’s leading institutes to study community work. Institutions like TAFE, as well as online education platforms like Open Colleges also offer a range of certificates and diplomas in community work.
The average community support worker’s salary in Australia is $60,739 per year. Entry-level positions start at $56,784 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $71,599 per year.
Community and well-being roles are in high demand today, and in the future. The community services employment sector is predicted to increase its job availability by 209,000 over the next five years. The biggest area of growth is in the Aged and Disability sector with 179,000 new jobs opening up.
Government funding assists students by subsidising their tuition fees, with funding varying between states and territories. In NSW, for example, Smart and Skilled is a reform of the NSW Vocational Education and Training (VET) system. It helps people in NSW get the skills they need to find a job and advance their careers. Under Smart and Skilled, the NSW Government contributes to the cost of each course with the student paying the balance. There are several community and well-being courses that fall under the Smart and Skilled reform, including Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing & Home and Community Care), Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability), Certificate IV in Ageing Support and Certificate IV in Mental Health.