Why choose care and support?
The care and support sector, including, aged care, disability support and veterans' care, is important, valuable work that can benefit you, both personally and professionally.
Care and support work involves looking after the wellbeing of older people, people with disability and veterans. The main goal of this work is to empower the people you support to live as independently and fully as possible.
There are job and career opportunities across Australia for people who want rewarding work that also works for them.
Make a difference
Care and support workers make a difference for people with disability, older people and veterans. You can help the people you work with to build their skills, independence, happiness and capacity.
Rewarding relationships
Care and support workers often build rewarding, mutually beneficial relationships with the people they support.
Who you work with
You may wish to support people with disability, veterans, or older people. The individuals within each of these groups can have very different needs and goals, which will affect the type of work you do with them.
What you do
While the majority of the roles in the care and support sector are individual support work, people with all types of skills are needed. There are roles for personal care and support workers, allied health assistants and professionals, registered and enrolled nurses, administrators and managers.
Where you work
You may be providing support in a person’s home, out in the community, in a specialised setting like a care home, supported housing or day centres, or in a health care setting like a clinic or hospital.
Roles are available all across Australia, in metropolitan, regional and rural areas. Skills in the care and support sector are readily transferrable from place to place.
Flexibility
Enjoy flexibility in work arrangements. There can be wide variety and flexibility in hours and work arrangements in the care and support sector, allowing you to strike a balance between work and home life, or work and study.
Variety and choice
Work in the care and support sector allows you to choose your area of focus and your career path. Each day could be different.
Growing sector
The care and support sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in Australia, with jobs in disability support, aged care and veterans’ care. Opportunities are only expanding.
Support and training
Whether you are new to the work, or are already in it and want to grow your skills, there are many options available for training and support. You can earn while you learn with on-the-job training and flexible work options, access subsidised training, and receive mentoring and peer support.
Welcoming diversity of experience
Join a sector that welcomes diversity of experience.
The care and support sector can be right for people in many types of situations and from many types of backgrounds.
You may be leaving school, considering a return to the workforce, looking for a career change, or simply wanting to find a job that better aligns with your values and gives you a greater sense of fulfilment.
Your skills and experience can often be formally recognised.
Learn more about the pathways into the sector
Is care and support work right for me?