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Do you want to make a difference for communities?
When you complete the Certificate III in Community Services you'll be on your way to a career as a youth worker, support worker, or family carer.
You will gain the knowledge and skills to communicate and work effectively and appropriately with individuals and groups in a variety of settings, gathering and providing information, advocacy and community development, ethical behaviour and legal responsibilities.
You will also gain an understanding of mental health, alcohol, drug, and domestic violence services.
This course is available for online study.
Look out for the self-paced option below to apply. Once enrolled, you will receive information about how to login to our eCampus and instructions for getting started studying this course online.
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This qualification is directly aligned with priority industry areas where the jobs are today, and into the future. As part of the state government Lower fees, local skills initiative, from 1 January 2020 through to 31 December 2021 you'll only pay half the course fees, capped at $1,200; or $400 (plus resource fee) if you're aged 15—24 or eligible for a concession. Find out more.
This course is part of the Lower fees, local skills initiative where you'll only pay half the course fees from until December 2021 capped at $1,200; or $400 if you're aged 15—24 or eligible for a concession. Find out more
Only course fees are half price. You may be required to pay other fees that apply to your course.
^ You will pay half price for the course fees on the Lower fees, local skills qualifications, however other fees may apply such as for resources that are specifically needed for your course.
Some of the courses on the list can be done completely online. However some of the courses require a practical component which can't be done online, or some may be a mix of online and face-to-face learning. We’ll let you know what's required for your course. For a full list of online courses, please use the filters under the Refine course results menu.
| School Leaver | Non-School Leaver | AQF |
|---|---|---|
| OLNA or NAPLAN 9 Band 8 | C Grades in Year 10 English and Maths or equivalent | Certificate I or Certificate II |
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This course is available as a traineeship.
Entrance requirements for traineeships
You must be employed in a training contract by an appropriate organisation to study an apprenticeship or traineeship.Â
In a traineeship you also gain hands-on skills and work experience, and improve your employment prospects, while earning a wage. On successful completion you will gain a nationally recognised qualification which can lead to rewarding career options. The difference between a traineeship and an apprenticeship is that a traineeship can be either a full time or part time employment based training arrangement, usually for a nominal duration of 12 months or more, generally in a non-trade related area.Â
To find out how to arrange a traineeship and study at South Metropolitan TAFE, please contact the Jobs and Skills Centre(opens in a new tab) closest to you.
Work placement is a requirement for this course
Work placement is mandatory for completion of this course. You will need to arrange a suitable work placement within industry which will involve your attendance at a workplace.
[Other instructions will follow for work placement such as gaining police clearance etc]
Attendance in class
This is a full-time course. You will need to attend class for 20 weeks, the days and times differ between campuses.
As well as the in-class component, you will need to complete approximately 20 minutes of additional study each week outside of class hours, including private study, assignment preparation, and research.
You will need to have the basic technical requirements for at-home study. If you don’t have access to a computer and WiFi at home, we recommend using our library computers during library hours.
Work placement
100 hours of work placement is mandatory for completion of this course depending on your elective. SM TAFE will arrange a suitable work placement within industry for you.Â
Please be aware that industries and employers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which has meant that in some cases it may not be currently possible to place students in a prospective employment opportunity. If that occurs, students will be able to complete training in a simulated workplace on campus.
What you need for your first day of class
On your first day you should bring your SM TAFE confirmation enrolment receipt, your student ID and stationery (pen and exercise book).
Clean clothing suitable for an office work place must be worn.
Please note this list should be used as a guide only as job titles and qualification requirements may vary between organisations.
SM TAFE actively promotes the employment availability of course graduates to key industry partners and organisations. We also seek expressions of interest from organisations for the placement of our students into work experience. In addition, this course involves work placement, giving you further opportunity to develop relationships with potential employers. We endeavour to assist students into a career pathway, but please be aware that employment is not guaranteed by us.
To access free career planning and job search assistance, visit the Jobs and Skills Centres page.
Study options and next steps
Click on your preferred study mode below to get started with your application or enrolment.