The Social Work and Community Services industry is one of the largest employing industries in Australia. LinkedIn’s 2021 ‘Jobs on the Rise’ report listed several roles as the most in-demand jobs in Australia right now, including Youth Workers, Social Services Specialists, Childcare Workers and Case Managers.
Working in this sector means dealing with vulnerable people experiencing poverty, discrimination, domestic violence or economic hardship. You’ll often work as part of a multidisciplinary team with other healthcare professionals and will also liaise closely with patients’ families or carers.
A career within social and community support work can be physically and emotionally demanding. You’ll often be frontline helping people at their most vulnerable, but seeing that the care you have provided has improved health, recovery, or reduced suffering can be incredibly satisfying.
6 Reasons to Get Involved in Social and Community Work
Narrowing down the reasons to get involved in the sector was no easy feat, but here are six of our top recommendations why this is an excellent pathway to pursue:
You can contribute to your local community and other people’s lives.
Many of the people you’ll work with within this sector will be vulnerable and in need of a supporting hand for different reasons. Every day, you’ll work to help individuals get back on their feet, help them build a better life for themself, and support them to manage life’s challenges.
You’ll have a direct impact on others and get to work with other professionals, all aiming to make a difference for the better.
Lots of job variety and opportunities for growth.
There are dozens of different roles that come under the social work and community services banner. Not only does this mean you’ll have plenty of opportunities when choosing a career path to start with, but there’s also plenty of opportunities to change direction and keep growing as you learn more about the industry and make more decisions on the type of work you want to be involved with.
A few roles you could explore include:
- Social Support Case Worker
- Crisis Intervention Worker
- Community Services Manager
- Community Program Coordinator
- Counsellor
- Child Protection Officer
- Welfare Worker
- Women’s Centre Program Supervisor
You’ll advocate for the rights of people who can’t fight for themselves.
If you’re a firm believer in giving back and helping others have a voice when they can’t, a career in social and community work could be just right for you. By advocating for others, you help reduce the social, legal and economic barriers that often keep individuals trapped in poor circumstances.
Step by step, you can show others how to fight for their rights while supporting them every step of the way.
It’s a huge area of job growth area in Australia.
The sector is not only a core part of the Australian economy; it’s vital for healthy and supported communities. Anyone starting in this industry will have a long-term career ahead of them, with plenty of opportunity for ongoing professional development and the chance to specialise and diversify the work they do.
According to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee, aged and disabled carers, nursing support, and personal care workers are the occupations that make up the highest proportion of the Australian healthcare and social assistance workforce. Growth is expected across the sector, especially within aged care and disability care, due to an aging population.
There’s heaps of variety in where you could work.
The social and community work industry works across governmental services, for-profit, and not-for-profit sectors. Each sector has its own ups and downs, but the flexibility to choose means you can find the area that works best for you.
These roles are also in-demand nationwide, across our biggest cities, and in our most remote and rural locations. Again, this flexibility means you can have many options on where you work depending on the type of lifestyle you’d like to lead.
It’s a career that allows for personal growth.
Through the work you’ll do, you’ll have the opportunity to meet new people every day. Whether they’re clients, other health professionals, or other advocates within the community – there are so many people you’ll get to learn from.
When we live our lives surrounded by people who think and live differently from us, we get the chance to engage with new perspectives, new ideas and be challenged on how we view the world. This creates space for greater empathy, increased emotional intelligence, and a whole lot of personal growth!
Ready for a Career in Social & Community Work?
What do you think? A career in social and community work sounding better by the second?
We think it’s a fantastic place to grow a career, and the next step, if you want to know more, is to start researching some of the key roles you could pursue and the different entry pathways to get onto!
Entry into the sector is as varied as the roles available, so no matter what academic pathway you choose to pursue, there’ll be an opportunity that’s right for you.
You can start uncovering all this information and more with our handy Industry Profiles. Check them out here:
