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Which Aged Care Course Suits Your Career Goals?
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Aged care is a growing industry and has thousands of courses on offer, so it’s a great time to consider pursuing this rewarding career. But with so many options, it can be hard to determine which course aligns with your career goals.
Why Study Aged Care in Australia?
Aged care is a calling, and you will instinctively know whether it is for you or not. Aged care requires a lot of hard work. Some tasks can be less pleasant, and you need to be able to handle it.
Cleaning bed pans and feeding people who cannot help themselves is not for everybody. Aged care also requires performing other tasks to help the elderly who can’t do certain things for themselves. Some people can be difficult to work with, and you need to be able to accommodate them.
If you think that you want to become an aged care worker and in that way make a positive contribution to older people in Australia, then you need to read further about your study options. If you look at your options to study aged care courses in Australia, you have a wide choice.
You can study advanced diplomas in Perth, WA, or short courses for continuous professional development in Adelaide, SA. Accredited online aged care courses in Sydney, NSW are also available.
Popular Aged Care Courses in Australia include:
- Certificate III in Aged Care
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Aged Care)
- Certificate IV in Aged Care
To get a better idea what aged care involves it may be a good idea to visit an aged care facility or more than one if more than one is available near you. There are public hospitals with nursing facilities, for example, in Melbourne, Victoria or you could visit residential homes in Brisbane, Queensland.
The standard of TAFE courses in aged care in Australia is high. It is always an advantage to get on-the-job experience before studies start. With TAFE courses in aged care in Australia, you can enter traineeships and apprenticeships in the early stages which will give you the on-the-job experience. Traineeships and apprenticeships are proposed for students who wish to study beyond certificate III or IV level.
Certificate III in Aged Care
The Certificate III in Aged Care is one of the most popular aged care courses in Australia, and can fast track you into a role in the industry in no time. Most Certificate III courses are accredited and can be used for further study in the future.
The Certificate III in Aged Care has practical as well as theoretical elements to it. By the time you have completed this certificate, you will have the practical and theoretical knowledge to start working as a care worker. You can also become a personal care assistant, a care assistant, community support worker or a nurse assistant. With this qualification, you can choose whether you want to work in a residential aged care facility or if you prefer to work for private individuals.
Depending on in which state the courses for the Certificate III in Aged Care is taken, and on who the course provider is, courses for this certificate can take up to 18 months to complete.
- Assistant in Nursing
- Aged Care Case Worker
- Community Care Worker
- Home Care Assistant
- Residential Care Worker
- Respite Care Worker
- Aged Care Officer
Certificate III in Individual Care (Ageing)
A Certificate III in Individual Support is focused on the skills and knowledge required to work in any area of individual care, with the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) tailored towards care in the aged sector.
The Certificate in Individual Support can provide you with the knowledge to provide discretion, judgement and the skills needed to give genuine support. This course can help you develop the experience you need to help the aged live fulfilling lives and have someone to lean on.
When you graduate from the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing), you’ll be equipped with the skills relevant to not only aged care, but the disability sector. Many Individual Support courses also contain a work placement component, so you can enter the workplace with experience.
- Disability Assistant
- Case Officer
- Home Care Assistant
- Care Worker
- Nursing Assistant
- Aged Care Center Officer
Certificate IV in Ageing Support
Certificate III in Aged Care is the building block for Certificate IV in Aged Care to enable Certificate IV to teach students how to work with special needs cases and equip them with management and supervisory skills. Once you have passed the final exam, you will be qualified to care for elderly persons, and you will be able to supervise and coordinate other workers who work in aged care. With the Certificate IV qualification, you will be able to take jobs that have more medical responsibilities, including infection control, age-related disabilities, illness and infirmity.
Depending on in which state the courses for the Certificate III in Aged Care is taken, and on who the course provider is, courses for this certificate can take up to 18 months to complete.
- Personal Care Worker
- Aged Care Activity Officer
- Care Service Leader
- Residential Case Worker
- Support Worker
- Community Program Coordinator
Now you know more about some of the more common aged care study paths, you should have a better idea of what option is best for you. Browse courses today and start your journey into this rewarding career!
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