Courses And Information

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday August 4, 1999

Academic qualifications are not generally required for any of the carer jobs - it's a matter of getting on-the-job experience.

For this, you could contact Home Care Service of NSW (02-9689 2666), church organisations, local councils or hospitals.

Getting a basic qualification such as Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate II, at TAFE, may be useful.

For child carers, TAFE also offers a Certificate in Home Based Care, Level III, or Certificate in Centre Based Care, Level III.

Home Care Service of NSW can also advise on short courses for specialised areas of work. For example, people assisting fragile and aged men and women with showering and dressing may need to do a course in back care; child-care workers must keep up to date with regulations relating to child safety, health and hygiene.

Other basic qualifications include a first-aid certificate for family day-care providers and home-care workers. Contact St John Ambulance Australia, (02) 9212 1088; Red Cross, (02) 9229 4100 or Royal Life Saving Society Australia, (02) 9879 4699.

Carers may need their own vehicle or be required to have specific insurance covering their homes.

Family day-care workers must be officially registered as carers with their local council.

For further information, go to Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business at www.detya.gov. au/JobGuideOnline/Graphic/frames/searchinterest_fr.

html then click on Helping and Community Services; The Sydney Morning Herald at www.smh.com.au/news/ content/jobs/index.html. Click on The Helper.

Other hot spots

* Pre-school aide

* Integration aide

* Teachers' aide

* Child-care worker

* Family day-care worker

* Nanny

* Hostel parent

* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education worker

* Child or youth residential-care assistant

* Refuge worker

* Aged or disabled person carer

* Therapy aide

* Personal-care assistant

* Nursing assistant

Find a job online

Fairfax's new Web site, www.mycareer.com.au, has listings of 15,000 jobs around the country. The site offers member benefits such as "Job Alert" e-mails when relevant jobs become available on the site. Labour/Occupations/Health Workers/Carers