- Community Sector and Development IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast (forthcoming)
- IRC membership
- Skills IQ – Skills Service Organisation.
Community Sector and Development
Overview
This page provides information and data on the Community Sector and Development sector, which is one component of the Community Services industry.
This sector has six components:
- Community services
- Housing
- Indigenous environmental health/population health
- Volunteering
- Youth justice
- Youth services and child protection.
The Skills Forecast for this industry indicates that key work roles in this sector include (listed in alphabetical order):
- Child protection workers
- Community development workers
- Community services workers
- Environmental health workers
- Managers
- Volunteers
- Youth justice officers
- Youth outreach workers
- Chaplaincy and/or pastoral care workers.
Nationally recognised training for Community Sector and Development occupations is delivered under the CHC - Community Services Training Package.
For more information on Children’s Education and Care and Direct Client Care and Support please visit the respective pages.
Information sourced from the Community Sector and Development IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast (forthcoming).
All data sources are available at the end of the page.
IRC and Skills Forecasts
IRC and Skills Forecasts
Employment trends
Employment trends
Employment snapshot
The Health Care and Social Assistance industry is the largest employing industry in Australia. In 2018 there were close to 1.7 million people were employed in this industry, which is projected to increase to over 1.9 million by 2023. Community Sector and Development occupations and job roles form a small part of the overall Healthcare and Social Assistance industry.
Within this broader industry, employment levels for the occupation of Welfare Support Workers have been variable over the past decade. For Health and Welfare Service Managers, employment numbers have steadily increased up until 2017 but dropped in 2018 to their lowest level since 2011. However, both of these occupations have a projected increase in employment numbers between 2018 and 2023. There are also a small number of Indigenous Health Workers within this industry, projected to be about 1,600 by 2023.
Training trends
Training trends
Training snapshot
In 2017 there were 73,144 program enrolments and 15,569 program completions in Community Sector and Development qualifications. Both enrolments and completions were at their lowest over the period 2014–17.
About 38% of the enrolments were at diploma or above level with the rest being distributed between certificate II, III, and IV level qualifications. About 70% of the qualifications were in Community Services and Coordination, with a further 15% being in Youth Work and Youth Justice. The main destination occupations for the training were Welfare Support Workers, followed by Community Worker and Youth worker.
Over 40% of the training was delivered by TAFE institutes and private providers, with 10% being delivered by community education providers. Funding for the training is largely split between government (53%) and domestic fee-for-service (45%). Close to three-quarters of the training was for students from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland with a further 11% for students from Western Australia.
In 2017 there were 620 apprentice and trainee commencements and 305 completions. After a steep decline post 2012, commencements started to rise again after 2016. The main destination occupations for apprenticeships and traineeships were Welfare Support Workers and Community Worker. The apprenticeships and traineeships were spread across the states and territories with the largest proportion being in New South Wales (21%).
For more data specific to your occupation, industry or training package, please visit NCVER’s VET students by industry.
For more data specific to your region please visit NCVER’s Atlas of Total VET. If you are prompted to log in, please select cancel and you will continue to be directed to the program.
If you are interested in extracting NCVER data to construct tables with data relevant to you, please sign up for a VOCSTATS account.
Industry insights
Industry insights
Industry insights on skills needs
Future skill needs indicated in the Community Sector and Development IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast include:
- digital literacy skills and competency in using different technology platforms
- ‘soft’ or interpersonal skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, emotional judgement, professional ethics and global citizenship
- emotional intelligence and resiliency skills
- cultural competency skills.
Consistent with the first two of these future skill needs, the job advertisement data for the broader industry indicates that the top two generic skills in demand by employers are communication and computer literacy.
A survey of the Family Services Workforce conducted on behalf of the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services found that 41% of respondents (of which there were about 600) only felt partially equipped by their qualifications to undertake their work role. The report speculated that in addition to course content this may have implications for the importance of students having quality field training.
A Workforce Development Strategy for Specialist Homeless Services developed by Shelter Tasmania Inc. identified a variety of specific skills training needs for that sector in Tasmania. The needs that were identified reflected changing ways of service delivery and increased support needs of clients. Needs were divided into:
- client focused which is training for skills directly supporting the homeless and their individual needs
- organisational focused which is training on organisational practices and service delivery.
A report on the Community Managed Mental Health Sector National Disability Insurance Scheme Workforce has found that the NDIS has changed the nature of work with mental health clients and consequent need for increased skills. Interestingly, a survey of community managed organisations identified the singular importance of relationship skills in this new environment.
The report, Future job openings for new entrants by industry and occupation, forecasts that employment in the occupation of Health and Welfare Support Workers will grow by 2.3% per year over the period 2016–24 due to such factors as the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Links and resources
Links and resources
Below is a list of industry-relevant organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.
Industry associations and advisory bodies
Aged and Community Services Australia
Australian Childhood Foundation
Australian Community Workers Association
Australian Council of Social Service
Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
Environmental Health Australia
Employee associations
Community and Public Sector Union
Australian Youth Workers Association
Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators
Relevant research
Community Managed Mental Health Sector National Disability Insurance Scheme Workforce HCA 2015
Family Services Workforce Survey Report Victorian Department of Health and Human Services 2017
Future job openings for new entrants by industry and occupation Shah C 2018
Maintaining the mental health of Child Protection Practitioners VAGO 2018
Specialist Homelessness Services Workforce Development Strategy Shelter Tasmania 2015
Data sources and notes
Data sources and notes
Department of Employment 2018, Employment Projections, available from the Labour Market Information Portal
- by ANZSIC 1 digit industry, Health Care and Social Assistance, employment projections to May 2023
- by ANZSCO, selected occupations, employment projections to May 2023
- 4117 Welfare Support Workers
- 1342 Health and Welfare Services Managers
- 4115 Indigenous Health Workers.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Employed persons by Industry group of main job (ANZSIC), Sex, State and Territory, November 1984 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ06, viewed 1st November 2018
<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202018?OpenDocument>
Employed total by ANZSIC 1 digit industry, Health Care and Social Assistance, 2000 to 2018, May Quarter.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Employed persons by occupation unit group of main job (ANZSCO), Sex, State and Territory, August 1986 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ08, viewed 1st November 2018
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202018?OpenDocument
- Employed total by ANZSCO 4-digit unit group
- 4117 Welfare Support Workers
- 1342 Health and Welfare Services Managers
- 4115 Indigenous Health Workers.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, 2016 Census – employment, income and unpaid work, TableBuilder. Findings based on use of ABS TableBuilder data.
- Employment level by 1 digit industry, Health Care and Social Assistance, and 4 digit level occupations to identify the relevant VET-related occupations in the industry as a proportion of the total workforce.
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
- Community Sector management
- CHC60308 - Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management
- CHC60312 - Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management
- CHC62015 - Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management
- Community Services and Coordination
- AHC51216 - Diploma of Community Coordination and Facilitation
- Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care
- CHC41108 - Certificate IV in Pastoral Care
- CHC41112 - Certificate IV in Pastoral Care
- CHC42315 - Certificate IV in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care
- Child, Youth and Family Intervention
- CHC40313 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention
- CHC41408 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Residential and out of home care)
- CHC41412 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (residential and out of home care)
- CHC41508 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Child protection)
- CHC41512 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Child Protection)
- CHC41608 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Family support)
- CHC41612 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Family Support)
- CHC50313 - Diploma of Child, Youth and Family Intervention
- CHC51208 - Diploma of Child, Youth and Family Intervention
- Community Development
- CHC40808 - Certificate IV in Community Development
- CHC42115 - Certificate IV in Community Development
- CHC50708 - Diploma of Community Development
- CHC52115 - Diploma of Community Development
- Community Sector Management
- CHC80108 - Graduate Diploma of Community Sector Management
- Community Services and Coordination
- CHC10108 - Certificate I in Work Preparation (Community services)
- CHC20108 - Certificate II in Community Services
- CHC20112 - Certificate II in Community Services
- CHC20202 - Certificate II in Community Services Work
- CHC22015 - Certificate II in Community Services
- CHC30108 - Certificate III in Community Services Work
- CHC30112 - Certificate III in Community Services Work
- CHC30802 - Certificate III in Community Services Work
- CHC32015 - Certificate III in Community Services
- CHC40708 - Certificate IV in Community Services Work
- CHC40902 - Certificate IV in Community Services Work
- CHC41012 - Certificate IV in Community Services Advocacy
- CHC41202 - Certificate IV in Community Services Advocacy
- CHC42002 - Certificate IV in Community Services (Service Co-ordination)
- CHC42015 - Certificate IV in Community Services
- CHC42308 - Certificate IV in Mediation
- CHC42312 - Certificate IV in Mediation
- CHC42408 - Certificate IV in Relationship Education
- CHC42412 - Certificate IV in Relationship Education
- CHC42512 - Certificate IV in Community Services (Information, advice and referral)
- CHC42812 - Certificate IV in Community Services (Development and or Humanitarian Assistance)
- CHC50608 - Diploma of Community Services Work
- CHC50612 - Diploma of Community Services Work
- CHC50702 - Diploma of Community Welfare Work
- CHC51808 - Diploma of Family Intake and Support Work
- CHC51812 - Diploma of Family Intake and Support Work
- CHC52008 - Diploma of Community Services (Case management)
- CHC52015 - Diploma of Community Services
- CHC52208 - Diploma of Community Services Coordination
- CHC52212 - Diploma of Community Services Coordination
- CHC60302 - Advanced Diploma of Community Services Work
- Indigenous Environmental Health
- HLT21005 - Certificate II in Indigenous Environmental Health
- HLT21007 - Certificate II in Indigenous Environmental Health
- HLT21012 - Certificate II in Indigenous Environmental Health
- HLT26115 - Certificate II in Indigenous Environmental Health
- HLT32312 - Certificate III in Indigenous Environmental Health
- Population Health
- HLT20905 - Certificate II in Population Health
- HLT20907 - Certificate II in Population Health
- HLT20912 - Certificate II in Population Health
- HLT26015 - Certificate II in Population Health
- HLT32205 - Certificate III in Population Health
- HLT32207 - Certificate III in Population Health
- HLT32212 - Certificate III in Population Health
- HLT36015 - Certificate III in Population Health
- HLT42312 - Certificate IV in Population Health
- HLT46015 - Certificate IV in Population Health
- HLT51012 - Diploma of Population Health
- Social Housing
- CHC30512 - Certificate III in Social Housing
- CHC40908 - Certificate IV in Social Housing
- CHC40912 - Certificate IV in Social Housing
- CHC42215 - Certificate IV in Social Housing
- CHC50812 - Diploma of Social Housing
- Volunteering and Coordination
- CHC10208 - Certificate I in Active Volunteering
- CHC10212 - Certificate I in Active Volunteering
- CHC14015 - Certificate I in Active Volunteering
- CHC20208 - Certificate II in Active Volunteering
- CHC20212 - Certificate II in Active Volunteering
- CHC24015 - Certificate II in Active Volunteering
- CHC30608 - Certificate III in Active Volunteering
- CHC30612 - Certificate III in Active Volunteering
- CHC34015 - Certificate III in Active Volunteering
- CHC42708 - Certificate IV in Volunteer Program Coordination
- CHC42712 - Certificate IV in Volunteer Program Coordination
- CHC44015 - Certificate IV in Coordination of volunteer programs
- Youth Work and Youth Justice
- CHC40413 - Certificate IV in Youth Work
- CHC40513 - Certificate IV in Youth Justice
- CHC40602 - Certificate IV in Youth Work
- CHC41808 - Certificate IV in Youth Work
- CHC41812 - Certificate IV in Youth Work
- CHC41908 - Certificate IV in Youth Justice
- CHC41912 - Certificate IV in Youth Justice
- CHC50413 - Diploma of Youth Work
- CHC50502 - Diploma of Youth Work
- CHC50513 - Diploma of Youth Justice
- CHC51408 - Diploma of Youth Work
- CHC51508 - Diploma of Youth Justice
- CHC51512 - Diploma of Youth Justice.
This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.
Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:
- 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 program enrolments
- 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 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 Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:
- 2010 to 2017 commencements
- 2010 to 2017 completions
- 2017 apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2017 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.
Priority skills data have been extracted from the Community Sector and Development IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast.
Job vacancy data have been extracted from Burning Glass Technologies 2018, Labour Insight Real-time Labour Market Information Tool, Burning Glass Technologies, Boston, viewed July 2018, <https://www.burning-glass.com>.
Data shown represent most requested generic skills, occupations and employers according to internet job postings in Australia between July 2015 and June 2018 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
- Employers
- 4211 Child Carers
- 4233 Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers
- 2726 Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers
- 1342 Health and Welfare Services Managers
- 4117 Welfare Support Workers
- Industry Sector: Health Care and Social Assistance.
Updated: 06 Dec 2018