Client Services

Overview

The Client Services sector provides a diverse range of essential services to the Australian public. These services are delivered mainly across the wider Community Services sector and include:

Career development
Celebrancy
Counselling
Financial counselling
Employment services
Child protection
Family dispute resolution.

Most of the organisations working within this sector are not-for-profit, with a few exceptions, such as self-employed celebrants and counsellors, or child protection services that are commonly provided and funded by government.

Strong employment growth rates are anticipated over the next five years within this sector. Most notably, welfare workers will experience significant growth by 2023 (an increase of 30.4%) as well as recreation and community arts workers (17.8%) and counsellors and welfare support workers (11.7%)

Nationally recognised training for occupations related to Client Services are delivered under the CHC – Community Services Training Package.

For more information on Children’s Education and Care, Community Sector and Development and Direct Client Care and Support and please visit the respective pages.

Information sourced from the most recently available Skills Forecast, the Client Services IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast.

All data sources are available at the end of the page.

IRC and skills forecasts

The Client Services IRC was not required to submit an annual update to their 2019 Skills Forecast during 2020. As such, the version published in 2019 remains the most recently published Skills Forecast for this industry.

Client Services IRC

Employment trends

Please note: any employment projections outlined below were calculated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics prior to COVID-19.

Industry Employment level
Occupation employment level

Employment snapshot

The Health Care and Social Assistance industry is the largest employing industry in Australia. In 2020 there were approximately 1.7 million people employed in this industry, which is projected to increase to more than 1.9 million by 2024. Within this industry, and relevant to Client Services, the occupations of Welfare Support Workers and Counsellors have experienced growth overall in employment since 2000 (with some fluctuations) and will continue to do so until 2024.

Training provider type
Funding source

Student location
Training delivery location

Commencements and completions
Qualification level and occupation
State and territory

Training snapshot

There were approximately 10,270 program enrolments in Client Services-related qualifications in 2019 and about 2,510 program completions. Program enrolments and program completions increased between 2018 and 2019.

In 2019, 70% of qualifications were at the diploma or higher level, with the rest being at the certificate IV level. Most enrolments were in the areas of Counselling (66%) and Celebrancy (24%). The main intended occupation was Welfare Support Workers, followed by Civil Celebrant.

The majority of training was delivered by private training providers (80%), followed by TAFE institutes with 15%. The majority of subjects were funded by domestic fee for service (80%) and by Commonwealth and state funding (18%). New South Wales had the single highest proportion of students in 2019, with 30%, followed by Queensland with 22% and Victoria with 21%.

The majority of training was delivered in New South Wales (36%) and Queensland (31%), with a further 15% delivered in Victoria.

Apprenticeship and traineeship enrolments and completions for Client Services-related qualifications have been on an overall downward trend since 2012. There was, however, a modest rise in both enrolments and completions between 2018 and 2019. In 2019, there were approximately 190 commencements and 50 completions. The intended occupation for apprentices and trainees was Careers Counsellor. The largest proportion of apprenticeships and traineeships were reported by Western Australia with 35%, followed by New South Wales with 34% and Queensland with 16%.

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For more data specific to your region please visit NCVER’s Atlas of Total VET.

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Industry insights

Industry insights on skills needs

The Client Services IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast identified the top priority skills for the sector as self management, online and social media skills, problem solving, and teamwork and communication. The top five identified generic skills are:

Communication / Virtual collaboration / Social intelligence
Customer Service / Marketing
Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) (Foundation skills)
Technology
Learning agility / Information literacy / Intellectual autonomy and self management (adaptability).

According to the job vacancy data, the top requested skills by employers in the sector were communication skills and planning. The most advertised occupations were Health and Welfare Services Managers followed by Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses. The top employers were the New South Wales Government and the Government of Victoria. The top locations for job advertisements were New South Wales and Victoria.

According to the Client Services IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast, the sector is facing several challenges and changes that impact workforce skills requirements. These include:

Government policy/legislation changes – a major restructuring of the mainstream employment services program, jobactive; the Women's Economic Security Package (WESP); and a review of the family law system
New technologies – online and social media; online video counselling (OVC); and the Online Dispute Resolution System (ODRS) for use in family law matters
Low language, literacy and numeracy skills
Staff wellbeing and retention.

The above Skills Forecast highlights the importance of VET for celebrants in the sector. It states that improving the depth and breadth of initial and continued training to equip independent celebrants with the skills to provide quality services in a professional manner to their communities should increase the general public's confidence in, and respect for, independent celebrants and increase the opportunity for them to take on additional work. The VET system plays an important role in providing nationally accredited courses for new and existing celebrants in the sector.

The Client Services IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast also highlights that due to the mass-adoption of online and social media by the general public, it is important for the Client Services sector to establish and maintain a high profile on social media and there is therefore a need for students to develop online and social media skills to aid in their work-readiness. For example, Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants are required to complete five hours of ongoing professional development (OPD) activities each calendar year, which can include online and social media activities such as:

Social media marketing
Knowing how to create appropriate social media content
Creating and maintaining a social media presence
Social media as a marketing tool
Networking using social media.

Recent studies indicate that the advent of online video counselling (OVC) has the potential to improve service delivery options in counselling and Family Dispute Resolution (FDR). OVC can work as effectively as face-to-face resolution for family disputes, particularly in cases where parties are situated in different locations, and can be utilised in instances where clients in rural, regional or remote areas do not have access to face-to-face counselling services, or in instances where clients require time flexibility. Due to the growing interest of online video applications in counselling and FDR, it is important for staff in these industries to be proactively aware of, and open to, related technologies and training.

The Client Services IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast outlines several reasons why it is necessary to ensure staff in the sector possess a strong foundation in language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) skills, namely:

To allow for the development of technical skills
To adequately support their customer base if they are in front-line job roles
To ensure that in certain sub-sectors they can write accurate case notes and other client-related documents in order to minimise potential negative ramifications if these documents are not accurately written, e.g. poor client care.

At the federal level, there is a driving force for services funded by government to move towards outcomes measurement frameworks. As such, there is also an emerging need for practitioners working across a broad range of services to be able to understand data capture, to have solid data-entry skills, and to be able to read and understand data reports.

Within all the Client Services sub-sectors, the wellbeing of workers is a necessary workplace health and safety priority and a factor influencing the retention of staff. Overall, workers in the Client Services sector (e.g. child protection workers, case managers, financial counsellors, family dispute resolution practitioners, etc.) are regularly required to manage large numbers of complex cases, which can cause stress, emotional fatigue and potentially vicarious trauma. To ensure the wellbeing of workers in the sector, it is necessary to develop and implement wellbeing programs for staff. At the individual level, students and staff can be encouraged to be aware of emotional fatigue and burn-out, and develop and practise self-care skills.

The Nous Group report to the Department of Jobs and Small Business, Employment Services 2020: Consultation Report, highlights the importance of digital skills for both employment services staff and job seekers. If Australia is to effectively utilise new technologies and online systems to aid people in their efforts to secure work, digital literacy skills for job seekers will need to be assessed and developed. The report suggests that milestones to improve digital skills could be incorporated into an agreed outcomes framework for the job seeker, related to their job plan.

The Commonwealth Senate Education and Employment References Committee examined issues related to employment services consultants as part of their inquiry into the appropriateness and effectiveness of the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of jobactive. In their report, Jobactive: Failing Those it is Intended to Serve, the Committee summarised their findings on the topics of high turnover, large caseloads, and training:

There are high turnover rates in the employment services sector. Jobactive provider consultant turnover is 42% per annum.
High turnover rates have a number of implications for service quality including inconsistent advice and frustration for job seekers when they have to work with multiple consultants over time.
It is common in the industry for consultants to be managing very high caseloads. The average caseload is 148 participants. High caseloads make it difficult to provide high quality, tailored services to job seekers.
Due to the lack of adequate training provided, some consultants cannot communicate well with people facing significant barriers to work and often adopt an attitude which blames unemployed workers for their own unemployment.
Consultants should have cultural awareness training and specific training if they are working with certain vulnerable groups.
Consultants should have specific training in the service being delivered. Consultants need to understand the service they are being asked to give, to understand the conditions of the local job market and to have some sensitivity around some of the other issues that people who are engaging with these services might be going through.

Information technologies have been important in the emergence of new forms of control and surveillance of welfare recipients and of those who administer labour market programmes. The article Seeing People in the Computer: the Role of Information Technology in Remote Employment Services, explores the way that the use of government information systems has shaped employment services in remote Australia where over 80% of those included are Indigenous people. The article describes how the production and use of administrative data within employment services have supported and extended the framing of Indigenous people in remote communities as non-compliant and as needing external direction.

Career Development Works: Research Evidence and Case Examples investigates the effectiveness and benefits of investment in professional and qualified career development interventions and services. This meta-analysis of 47 independent research studies involving a combined total of 9,575 individuals identifies the key ingredients of job search interventions. The odds of getting a job is 2.67 times higher for a person who engages in a job search intervention than a person who does not. The odds of success are higher for interventions that target proactivity, goals setting, and enlisting social support. They are more effective than those that do not target these key ingredients. Directly training for improved self-presentation, job search skills, and boosting self-efficacy are also effective.

Financial counselling is provided by community and local government organisations who offer free, independent services to help people in, or at risk of, financial hardship. Australia's financial counsellors are of high quality and are dedicated to the work they do. The Countervailing Power: Review of the Coordination and Funding for Financial Counselling Services Across Australia estimates that in 2018 there were 500 financial counsellors in Australia who provided face-to-face services to 125,000 people and received approximately 180,000 calls through the National Debt Helpline. This includes generalist financial counselling and more specialised advice, such as assistance to those who have experienced domestic violence or those addicted to gambling. Services are also provided in specific geographical areas such as financial counselling services for rural areas. Early intervention is important in reducing the stress and effects on health and relationships that often accompany financial difficulties.

The article A New Paradigm: Bringing a Historical and Sociopolitical Trauma Lens to the Training for Welfare Practitioners Working with Aboriginal Families, argues that child protection agencies must provide mandatory training about the Aboriginal experience within the welfare state and the resultant trauma that exists in Australian Indigenous communities. The article highlights the areas of curriculum to be included in training for welfare practitioners working with Aboriginal families in the New South Wales child protection system. The training content explores the Stolen Generations' trauma experiences of child loss and examines the dichotomy between past child welfare laws and present child protection laws and intergenerational racism. Another key component of the training comprises information about the impacts of trauma on brain development.

The Efficacy of a Child Protection Training Program on the Historical Welfare Context and Aboriginal Trauma reports on the findings from a study exploring the efficacy of a training program for child protection practitioners. The training aimed to improve understanding of the sociohistorical context that underpins interactions between the welfare system and Aboriginal communities, the impact of past and present child protection laws, and the importance of trauma theory to guide practice when working with Aboriginal families.

The study found the lack of skills and knowledge deficit of trauma-informed principles and the limited understanding of trauma theories can be and should be addressed in vocational training. As a result of the training, participants' knowledge about trauma significantly improved, as did their understanding of key concepts such as the difference between past and current welfare laws, assimilation, intergenerational trauma and trauma-related behaviours. Findings point to the need for high quality training in entry-level and professional development for welfare practitioners to support best practice in working with Aboriginal families, and the importance of rigorous evaluation of training to ensure that it is impactful. Three important implications are identified:

Welfare practitioners do not necessarily understand trauma theory and trauma-informed practice and do not understand the impact of trauma on Indigenous Australians
Mandatory in-service training about the past and ongoing traumatic impact of previous child welfare system laws, must be provided to welfare practitioners
Trauma theory needs to guide child protection practice when working with Aboriginal families.

According to the report The Economic Case for Early Intervention in the Child Protection and Out-of-Home Care System in Victoria, the numbers of children being removed from their families in Victoria are the highest in Australia. Overall, the number of children in out-of-home care is growing at around 11% each year. The situation is even more dire for Aboriginal families and children, with 24% growth in the number of Aboriginal children in care each year. Without a change in approach, Victoria is on track to have almost 26,000 children in out-of-home care by 2026. This is more than any other state or territory.

The child and family services sector is vibrant and committed to reorienting the system toward early intervention. Already numerous child and family services agencies across Victoria have invested their own time and funding to adopt evidence-based practices. They continue to innovate, building an evidence base of what works for families and children experiencing vulnerability in Victoria and Australia. There is a deep commitment to self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognition that decisions on what early intervention looks like for Aboriginal children and families should be owned and directed by Aboriginal organisations and communities. This report makes it clear that the case for upfront additional investment to reorient the system is compelling, and the only real option available to deliver better outcomes for children and families experiencing vulnerability.

The YWCA Canberra Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System argues that child protection services need better training on family violence and cultural competency to prevent them from reinforcing the unjust barriers, marginalisation and control exercised against those who experience violence in cultural settings particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children.

COVID-19 impact

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp fall in economic activity in Australia. Many lost their jobs and faced increased financial hardship. As the economic recovery gains momentum, the services of career development and employment services professionals will be key to helping people gain new employment.

In their media release Career Development Vital for a Post COVID-19 Labour Market Revival, the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) argues that career development practitioners are well-positioned to support Australians eager to return to work. The career development industry is well equipped in this time of unprecedented transition with vigorous theories and models, evidence-based strategies and tools, and a willingness and strong desire to help individuals successfully navigate the difficult and complex transitions they find themselves in through no fault of their own. Research shows that those working in the career development industry add value by educating those they are working with by: educating them about their future career options (98%), helping to build their confidence (97%) and assisting to map out an individual's career journey (92%). With a growing pressure to make sure Australians get back to work, there has never been a more important time in recent history to ensure that career development and the role of professional career practitioners are recognised and supported across all levels of society.

Redesigning Employment Services After COVID-19 argues there is a need to redesign employment services to better meet the needs of people experiencing unemployment after the COVID-19 economic shock. The authors believe that neither the existing jobactive system, nor the New Employment Services model, is a good fit for the post COVID-19 unemployment scenario. This is because both models depend on job outcome payments, which leads to under-investment in the needs of people most at risk of long-term unemployment. This discussion paper outlines the case for a review of employment services. It explains why viable funding for employment services should not be dependent on outcome payments and should be sufficient to enable agencies to provide ongoing services regardless of labour market conditions.

Poverty in Australia is a significant issue. More than 3.24 million people, or 13.6% of the population, currently live below the poverty line. The Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) media release Financial Counsellors Call for JobSeeker Increase This Anti-Poverty Week, highlights the devastating impacts of poverty in Australia and the importance of implementing lasting solutions. Demand for food relief from charities has increased by 47% during COVID-19. Australians who faced food insecurity before the pandemic are going hungry more often, with 43% going a whole day each week without eating. Renters are also adversely affected, with one third of tenants in Australia saying they are struggling to make ends meet or had recently skipped meals. Financial counsellors are supporting a new group of people, who have never experienced unemployment and are uncertain about how to make ends meet and what will happen in coming months. Financial counsellors believe the most effective way to alleviate poverty is for the JobSeeker payment to be increased and set at a level that provides enough for people to live on with dignity.

Financial counselling services are provided free across the country. Financial counsellors do not judge but they can be life savers. The ABC News story Fears Over Drop in Demand for Financial Counsellors During Coronavirus Pandemic was published in April 2020, early in the pandemic. Financial counsellors expressed concern that people negatively affected financially by the pandemic were not reaching out for assistance from financial counsellors. Financial counsellors warned that if people did not get their affairs in order, and possibly seek help, the true financial tsunami could hit when the Government's relief measures run out. While pandemic lockdowns meant financial counsellor-client meetings were no longer held face-to-face, the process was the same by phone.

The media release Financial Counselling Australia Welcomes Big Funding Boost in Western Australia and Urges Other States to do the Same, was released in July 2020 following the announcement of a $6.8 million funding boost for financial counselling services in Western Australia (WA) as part of the state government's WA Recovery Plan. The money will be used to increase the number of financial counsellors in WA through supporting existing services and establishing a new traineeship program. This will assist all Western Australians impacted by COVID-19 to get back on track financially.

Funding financial counselling is one of the best ways to help people deal with growing debt and complex financial problems. Financial counsellors provide free, independent and confidential services. They are dedicated professionals trained to deal with people in stressful situations and their methods work. Financial counsellors across the country have been assisting people with a wide range of issues since the pandemic began. They have been able to help thousands of people deal with personal and household debt, mortgage stress, rental arrears and rising utility costs. Financial counsellors are not financial advisors or planners - they do not charge for their services and nor do they provide investment advice. They can assist by:

Doing a full assessment of a client’s financial situation
Providing advice on how to negotiate with creditors, government agencies and utilities
Providing advice on options and rights
Referring clients to other services when needed, such as emergency relief, legal and health services.

Keeping Families Together Through COVID-19: the Strengthened Case for Early Intervention in Victoria's Child Protection and Out-of-Home Care System, states that the COVID-19 pandemic has created confronting new challenges that will have immediate and lasting impacts. The impacts will not be felt equally - it is the families, children and young people already facing adversity that have been most impacted by this pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis makes the need for reform even more urgent as the risk of abuse, neglect and family separation increases and, for Aboriginal families, the impact of intergenerational disadvantage, institutional racism and over-representation intensifies.

This report makes it clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded an already bleak future for the child protection system. It highlights that to make a significant impact on the demands that are expected on the system as a result of COVID-19, there is a need to invest in targeted early intervention now. Investment in targeted early intervention programs can set struggling families up for success. It can improve employment and education engagement, health and wellbeing, social participation and community connectedness while also reducing the conditions leading to homelessness, chronic health problems and engagement with the justice system. Such social, human and economic capital will be essential for the Victorian community to recover from this pandemic. For Aboriginal families, Government must invest in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and communities to develop, implement and evaluate early intervention responses that are trauma-informed and culturally based.

Links and resources

Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.

Relevant research

A Little Relief Will go a Long Way for Thousands Struggling due to COVID-19 [media release] – Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)

A New Paradigm: Bringing a Historical and Sociopolitical Trauma Lens to the Training for Welfare Practitioners Working with Aboriginal Families – Karen Menzies

Career Development Vital for a Post COVID-19 Labour Market Revival [media release] – Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA)

Career Development Works: Research Evidence and Case Examples – Australian Collaboratory for Career Employment and Learning for Living (ACCELL) for the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA)

Employment Services 2020: Consultation Report – Nous Group

Fears Over Drop in Demand for Financial Counsellors During Coronavirus Pandemic – Briana Shepherd

Financial Counselling Australia Welcomes Big Funding Boost in Western Australia and Urges Other States to do the Same [media release] – Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)

Financial Counsellors Call for JobSeeker Increase This Anti-Poverty Week [media release] – Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)

Jobactive: Failing Those it is Intended to Serve – Commonwealth Senate Education and Employment References Committee

Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System Inquiry – The Committee

Keeping Families Together Through COVID-19: the Strengthened Case for Early Intervention in Victoria's Child Protection and Out-of-Home Care System – Social Ventures Australia

NDH 2020 Stats – Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)

Redesigning Employment Services After COVID-19 – Per Capita

Seeing People in the Computer: the Role of Information Technology in Remote Employment Services – Lisa Fowkes

Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System – YWCA Canberra

The Countervailing Power: Review of the Coordination and Funding for Financial Counselling Services Across Australia – Louise Sylvan

The Economic Case for Early Intervention in the Child Protection and Out-of-Home Care System in Victoria – Social Ventures Australia

The Efficacy of a Child Protection Training Program on the Historical Welfare Context and Aboriginal Trauma – Karen Menzies and Rebekah Grace

The Next Generation of Employment Services: Discussion Paper – Employment Services Expert Advisory Panel

Government

Australian Capital Territory Government Community Services Directorate

Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment

Australian Government Department of Social Services

Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Australian Government Services Australia (formerly the Department of Human Services)

Government of South Australia Department of Human Services

Government of Western Australia Department of Communities, Child Protection and Family Support

New South Wales Government Department of Communities and Justice

Northern Territory Government Territory Families

Queensland Government Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women

Queensland Government Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors

Tasmanian Government Department of Health

Victoria Government Department of Health and Human Services

Data sources and notes

Department of Employment 2020, Employment Projections, available from the Labour Market Information Portal

by ANZSIC 1 digit Health Care and Social Assistance, employment projections to May 2024
by ANZSCO, selected occupations, employment projections to May 2024
- 2721 Counsellors
- 4117 Welfare Support Workers.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2020, Employed persons by Industry group of main job (ANZSIC), Sex, State and Territory, November 1984 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ06, 1 August 2020 https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202020?OpenDocument

Employed total by ANZSIC 1 digit Health Care and Social Assistance, 2000 to 2020, May quarter.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2020, Employed persons by Occupation unit group of main job (ANZSCO), Sex, State and Territory, August 1986 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ08, 1 August 2020 https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202020?OpenDocument

Employed total by ANZSCO 4-digit unit group
- 2721 Counsellors
- 4117 Welfare Support Workers.

Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:

CHC Community Services Training Package
Career Development
- CHC41215 - Certificate IV in Career Development
- CHC42108 - Certificate IV in Career Development
- CHC42112 - Certificate IV in Career Development
- CHC70308 - Graduate Certificate in Career Development Practice
- CHC81315 - Graduate Certificate in Career Development Practice.
Celebrancy
- CHC41015 - Certificate IV in Celebrancy
- CHC42608 - Certificate IV in Celebrancy.
Client Assessment and Case Management
- CHC70208 - Graduate Certificate in Community Services Practice (Client assessment and case management)
- CHC82015 - Graduate Certificate in Client Assessment and Case Management.
Counselling
- CHC42212 - Certificate IV in Telephone Counselling Skills
- CHC51015 - Diploma of Counselling
- CHC51115 - Diploma of Financial Counselling
- CHC51708 - Diploma of Counselling
- CHC51712 - Diploma of Counselling
- CHC52108 - Diploma of Community Services (Financial counselling)
- CHC80107 - Vocational Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling
- CHC80208 - Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling
- CHC81015 - Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling.
Employment Services
- CHC30502 - Certificate III in Employment Services
- CHC30908 - Certificate III in Employment Services
- CHC30912 - Certificate III in Employment Services
- CHC40502 - Certificate IV in Employment Services
- CHC41115 - Certificate IV in Employment Services
- CHC42008 - Certificate IV in Employment Services
- CHC42012 - Certificate IV in Employment Services
- CHC50402 - Diploma of Employment Services
- CHC51608 - Diploma of Employment Services
- CHC51612 - Diploma of Employment Services.
Family Dispute Resolution
- CHC80308 - Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution
- CHC81115 - Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution.
Statutory Child Protection
- CHC70108 - Graduate Certificate in Community Services Practice (Statutory child protection)
- CHC81215 - Graduate Certificate in Statutory Child Protection.

This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.

Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:

2015 to 2019 program enrolments
2015 to 2019 program completions.

Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.

Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.

CHC Community Services apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:

2010 to 2019 commencements
2010 to 2019 completions
2019 apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2019 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.

Priority skills data have been extracted from the Client Services IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast.

Job vacancy data have been extracted from Burning Glass Technologies 2020, Labor Insight Real-time Labor Market Information Tool, Burning Glass Technologies, Boston, viewed July 2020, https://www.burning-glass.com.

Data shown represent most requested generic skills, occupations and employers according to internet job postings in Australia between July 2017 and June 2020 filtered by ANZSIC and ANZSCO classification levels listed below.

Generic skills / occupations
- 27 Legal, Social and Welfare Professionals
- 41 Health and Welfare Support Workers
- 42 Carers and Aides
- 134 Education, Health and Welfare Services Managers
- Industry Sector: Health Care and Social Assistance.
Employers
- 1342 Health and Welfare Services Managers
- 4114 Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses
- 4233 Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers
- 2726 Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers
- 4117 Welfare Support Workers
- Industry Sector: Health Care and Social Assistance.

Updated: 17 Dec 2020