Do you have a caring nature and want to build your career in an area that makes an important daily difference?
Combine your talents with your values and get qualified to work in the aged care industry; you'll make a lasting impact on the lives of seniors by providing personal, physical and emotional support to our elderly generation and assisting with their daily living tasks.
Jobs and Skills WA reports that Australia has one of the leading aged care systems in the world, and aged care as well as disability support are the second highest employing occupations.
This course will equip you with in-demand skills to boost your employability in a growing sector where there is a strong need for qualified aged care workers. Build on your current knowledge and take the next step to gain a specialised skill set for provision of aged care, whilst building a deeper understanding of how to empower senior clients as well as the issues concerning older people.
Learn how to assess the needs of seniors with complex circumstances and provide support to people with dementia, be trained in a palliative approach to care and develop skills in implementing programs for seniors to enrich their lives.
This course requires you to undertake a work placement of approximately 150 hours where you’ll be able to gain practical, real-world experience for workforce readiness and apply the skills and knowledge you have learned.
Want to find out more about this industry?
Our Community Services at SM TAFE Facebook page has more information for students about organisations, initiatives and leading expertise in the industry.
- plan, develop, implement and monitor programs and services for seniors
- assess the needs of older people with complex circumstances
- plan and conduct group and recreation programs for seniors
- monitor services, implement and monitor health and safety policies and procedures and organise an effective work environment
In order to make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, you must take into account the essential skills and knowledge required to undertake this study.
- excellent observational skills - to be able to identify changes in behaviour, abilities and environment
- good communication skills to liaise/work with a range of people
- good listening and writing skills
- be able to deal with physical demands of manual tasks including personal care work and lifting
- basic problem solving skills and the ability to respond to immediate safety risks
- Tolerance, patience and the willingness to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures
This course remains FEE FREE in 2024! The course fees are 100 per cent subsidised by the WA State Government for WA residents.
Some eligibility conditions apply for the free training, and other fees may apply for some courses. Please see the FAQs on our Skills Ready page for further information.
* Please note that eligibility requirements apply to some of the free training.
Online study is available for this course. Be sure to check the study requirements tab for information about studying this course using eCampus including study assistance and our helpful online study guide, then use the apply now link where you see the online study option.
This course requires flu and COVID-19 vaccination, police clearance and working with children check prior to work placement. See the important information tab for instructions.
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Entrance requirements
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Is this course right for you?
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Study requirements
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Important information
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Job opportunities
| School Leaver | Non-School Leaver | AQF |
|---|---|---|
| C Grades in Year 11 WACE General English, and OLNA; or NAPLAN 9 Band 8 | C Grades in Year 11 English and Maths or equivalent | Certificate II or Certificate III |
- Completion of CHC33015 – Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Ageing, home & community) is a requirement for this course.
- Those who have the older version of the Certificate III in Aged Care and are working in industry, we encourage you to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning and taking units in this course one to two days a week while you work
- Students under the age of 18 might not be able to meet the workplace assessment requirements of this qualification if a place cannot be found for work placement.
New students who have not studied the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Ageing, Home & Community) must apply instead for the lower level qualification due to pre-requisite skills/knowledge requirements. Students that have already completed Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing or Ageing, Home & Community) are eligible to apply for a credit transfer to reduce the study load and overall course cost.
Have you got what it takes to be successful in this career? Our Core Skills guide lists the skills and attributes necessary to study and work in this field.
Online study
Students completing the online study option will complete two units at a time, with progress monitored by their lecturer. This can be done at a pace suitable to you but for each group of units you have 4 months to complete, so we recommend you use our schedule provided to you at enrolment to assist you in avoiding having to re-enrol in the unit.
Students must be able to demonstrate practical skills to achieve this qualification when studying fully online. For each unit there is a requirement to demonstrate performance tasks and skills, these will need to be simulated, recorded and submitted for assessment.
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.
The nature of online study can involve a significant investment of time and the ability to be a focused, self-motivated learner. You should consider your personal circumstances and past study history before committing to study online. Find out more in our online study info pack below.
Online study info pack (334 KB) (PDF document - opens in a new tab)
Work placement
This qualification requires the completion of a work placement of approximately 150 hours.
Your work placement requires you to be available to attend during weekdays and you may need to rearrange personal or work commitments to be able to attend.
So that we can assess your practical work on work placement, your placement must be in the Perth metropolitan area including the Peel region as far south as Waroona.
You may be required to obtain a Working With Children Check and National Police Clearance prior to a supervised work placement. This will depend on the organisation you are placed with.
For more information visit:
https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au(opens in a new tab)
https://www.police.wa.gov.au/Police-Direct/National-Police-Certificates(opens in a new tab)
Mandatory vaccination requirements
This course requires you to undertake a mandatory work placement with an employer associated with an industry outlined in the COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy. This means that you must be triple dose vaccinated prior to your work placement. For the latest information on vaccine requirements for students visit our COVID-19 update page.
Please note this list should be used as a guide only as job titles and qualification requirements may vary between organisations.
Work placement is mandatory for completion of this course. SM TAFE will arrange a suitable work placement within industry for you which will involve your attendance at a workplace.
To access free career planning and job search assistance, visit the Jobs and Skills Centres page.
Select your preferred campus and apply
Click on your preferred campus and study mode below to get started with your application.