Start an aged care support worker traineeship
Want to become an aged care worker?
If you are a caring, motivated person who is passionate about making a difference to the lives of our seniors, a job as an aged care support worker is the perfect role!
The best way of getting the right skills and experience is by enrolling in a support worker traineeship or course, where you can earn while you learn! And thanks to our ageing population it’s a growing industry with excellent job prospects.
This page will help answer all your questions, like:
- What is a traineeship and how long is it?
- What qualification will you get after a traineeship?
- What do aged carers do?
- How do I become an aged care support worker?
- What jobs are there for aged care workers?
Ready to start a traineeship?
We help match you with a local employer based on your interests and abilities.- Call us on 1300 765 155 to find out more or complete the form below and a team member will be in touch asap .
or
- Browse and apply for the latest traineeships near you – just filter for community services & development for your location.
Let’s dive right in and get started…
What is a traineeship?
A traineeship is a bit like an apprenticeship, where you get paid for on-the-job training while you study. So you can earn while you learn!
Traineeships are popular with employers because you get practical experience in a workplace, which means your skills will be in demand.
A traineeship course is one or two years, with a combination of work experience and study. You have the option of doing this full or part-time, depending on what suits you. A full-time traineeship is around 38 hours per week, and if you opt for a part-time traineeship you normally agree hours with your employer.
You also don’t need any experience or a qualification to start a traineeship as an aged carer – just a passion for helping people.
What qualification will you get after a traineeship?
The most common qualification for working in aged care is a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) This consists of 13 modules and qualify in 12 months doing it full time (38 hours). You can also do this course part-time over 24 months (15 hours).
This includes your work experience as well as mentorship from us throughout!
What qualities do you need be an aged care worker?
Working with older people is very rewarding but also be challenging – so you need to be flexible, reliable and genuinely care about your client’s needs. Qualities which will help you shine in your role include:
- Patient, adaptable and flexible
- People person who genuinely wants to help people
- Empathetic, caring and supportive
- Great communication skills, especially listening
- Physically fit as some roles require lifting
- Driver’s licence required for some roles
What do aged care workers do?
Wondering what a typical day in the life of an aged care worker looks like? Your day-to-day job could include:
- Being a companion and friend
- Providing emotional support
- Helping clients with mobility challenges to move around
- Helping with housekeeping jobs like cooking and cleaning
- Making sure they take their medication
- Helping clients with their personal hygiene
- Doing the shopping and other errands
- Organising social activities and taking them on outings
Hear from one of our trainees!
"Through my 12-month traineeship with Apprenticeship Careers Australia, I gained experience working alongside support workers and in meeting the diverse needs of people with disabilities. The practical training and mentoring from the support workers, along with the formal study component and encouragement from my trainers, has enabled me to be a confident and capable employee with a good knowledge of the sector."
Heather Clissold,
Support Worker Trainee, Apprenticeship Careers Australia
How to become an aged care support worker?
The best entry-level qualification for jobs in the aged care sector are:
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing, Home and Community)
If you want to grow your career further and qualify for more senior roles, you can go on to study the Certificate IV Ageing Support. Other courses in the care sector, include:
- Certificate III in Individual Support
- Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)
After you qualify you could get a number of different jobs in aged care.
Getting a job in aged care
Most employers prefer to employ candidates who have a certificate qualification from a TAFE or Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Once you have finished your traineeship and qualified you can apply for jobs advertised at residential care homes or in a client's home. These roles could be listed as:
- Aged care support worker
- Personal carer
- Aged care assistant
- In-home support worker
- Elderly care worker
- Accommodation support worker
Healthcare support worker FAQ:
Aged care workers are paid according to set rates, based on experience. As a Group Training Organisations or GTO, we employee you, so you’ll also be paid by us. This includes your wages, allowances, super, sick/holiday pay and other benefits. Get in touch to find out more about specific pay rates and current aged care support roles.