Join the Surge! Become a Support Worker

Take these easy steps to make yourself job-ready

Such is the unprecedented demand for disability support workers in these difficult times, it has been called a surge.

If you are looking for work, now is the time to consider a role in which you support people with disability to fulfil their potential.  It is sometimes challenging, but always rewarding work in which you make a difference to others’ lives as well as your own.

If you want to fast-track yourself into a job, there is FREE online training available.

While skill requirements can vary depending on where you work and who you work with, these courses will enable you to meet most employers’ minimum requirements in just a few hours:

Online training, mostly FREE (with record of completion available) to give you the basic skills:

 

  1. Quality, Safety and You (FREE online course, approx. 90 minutes)
  2. Department of Health’s COVID-19 Infection Control Module (FREE online course, approx. 30 minutes)
  3. Understanding Abuse (FREE online module, approx. 30 minutes)
  4. Human Rights and You (FREE online module, approx. 30 minutes)
  5. Manual Handling (Cost $82.50 incluidng GST, approx. 60 minutes)
  6. Hand Hygiene (FREE online module, approx. 30 minutes)

 

For most roles you will also need:

  • First Aid certificate
  • Driver’s licence - or the ability to travel independently

 

Other required checks:

  • Police check - A National Police Check is required for most positions. Find out more if you are new to the sector.
  • Working with children check - For some positions working with children and young people, you may need to undergo a Working With Children Check as part of your application - find out more.
  • Check the NDIS Commission website for Worker Screening requirements

 

Some States and Territories have set up special workforce hubs to help workers find jobs quickly in the coronavirus crisis:   NT * WA

Wherever you work in this sector, you will need a passion for working with people. Find out about the rewards in these True Stories

Still unsure? Check your personality fit with our Career Quiz, and find out more about working in the disability sector in our Starting Out pages.