Published: 18th May 2021.
Written by Jodie Magrath
A career in Social Work is a perfect choice for people who enjoy helping others. If you find it rewarding to assist people through difficult times in their lives, this could be a good option for you. Social work roles can be varied but you might specialise in an area such as youth work, family services or community care. You might help people dealing with issues such as unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence or substance abuse. Social Work offers opportunities to focus on case management, community programs or family support.
Working in Social Work requires good interpersonal skills. You’ll need to be a good communicator and be able to listen to your clients’ needs. It’s important that you understand their situation and have a strong knowledge of the support services available. You’ll usually be dealing with multiple clients at once so you’ll need to be organised and be able to multitask. A career in social work will require you to deal with clients from a range of backgrounds and you may have to work irregular hours when required.
If a career in Social Work interests you, the following courses can help you get started:
Certificate III in Community Services
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Certificate III in Community Services is a great way to get started in a range of community service roles. This course will give you the skills you need to work with people in need, such as children and young people, elderly people, people dealing with mental health issues or people dealing with the impact of drugs and alcohol. This qualification includes a work placement so you can gain real world experience.
Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention
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Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention will give you the skills you need to work with young people experiencing difficulties in their life. You’ll learn to identify and respond to children and youth who are at risk and work with other support services to meet their needs. You’ll be able to choose subjects to specialise your studies including family intervention, mental health, domestic violence and trauma.
Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management
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Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management is an ideal qualification for anyone seeking a leadership role in the social work field. You’ll learn business and management skills and explore what’s involved with coordinating community projects. You’ll study topics including case management, creating partnerships with other providers and resolving grievances and complaints.
A Social Work qualification could lead to a range of careers including the following job roles:
Social Worker
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Social Worker helps people who are going through challenging times such as a family breakdown, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment or homelessness. You might work with individuals in a case management role or develop programs for small groups or communities. Social Workers might help clients access other available support services.
Community Development Worker
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Community Development Worker coordinates projects and programs for communities in need. You might work with particular groups within a community or target specific issues such as substance abuse or domestic violence. Community Development Workers might assess a community’s needs and organise relevant support services.
Aboriginal Community Care Worker
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Aboriginal Community Care Worker provides support to Indigenous communities. You might target particular social issues such as substance abuse or unemployment or you might work with individuals in a case management role. Aboriginal Community Care Workers might organise community programs, events or activities.
Getting started
If you’d like to study a course in Social Work, it’s important that you collect information from a range of course providers. There is usually some variation in how providers deliver their courses so you need to find the right course before you enrol. Make sure you get information about course duration, costs, any prerequisites and the content the course will cover. Once you have all the information you can compare details and work out which qualification is the best fit for you.