06 Dec 2021

 

There’s been a lot happening across the world and in our communities recently. Many people have been experiencing some tough times. This means there’s been loads of talk about making sure that everyone gets the support they need when and where they need it. While casually helping someone to get stuff done or providing emotional support is important, there is a bigger opportunity here. It’s a chance to forge a career that’s all about having a positive impact on those around you; a positive impact on humanity.

The human services sector is one of Australia’s largest and most important sectors - covering aged care and disability support, early education and allied health. There is an absolutely enormous range of roles which are all centered around helping people live independently with dignity and respect.

One such role could be someone like a personal care worker, who provides support for an older person, a veteran or a person with a disability. For them, their work is all about helping  that person as they go about their daily tasks, meet their appointments, achieve goals and maintain their personal wellbeing. Others working in human services might provide different types of support, like providing domestic assistance for tasks like cleaning or preparing meals. There are also community support workers, allied health assistants, and group or recreational facilitators - each playing a different part in making a positive difference in peoples’ lives.

Because this sector is so crucial to making sure everyone who needs this type of assistance is looked after in our communities across the country, not only is it a huge sector with loads of job opportunities right now - it’s also growing every year. One reason for this growth is that our population is ageing - our life expectancy is improving, and our baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age. In the 1980s, we had around 6.6 people of working age for every person over 65, but these days that ratio is closer to 4:1. As people age, their needs change, and we need to make sure that we have people who are trained and able to provide the care and support that our parents and grandparents need. Demand for disability support is also growing. A statistic that a lot of people don’t know is that around 1 in 5 Australians live with disability - so whether you realise it or not, you’re encountering people who interact with the human services sector every day. 

If you’re interested in finding a career that’s all about making a direct positive impact on people’s lives, then make sure you keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming, brand-new Academy Positive Humanity. It’s going to be an awesome run-through of all the different available roles in the human services sector, how you can get started and what a career in the sector could look like in the near future!