Are you a caring person, who loves to look after others? Do you enjoy meeting new people, and hearing their stories? And most of all, would you like to work in a job where you're truly making a difference to people's lives? Australia has one of the leading aged care systems in the world, and with our ageing population — and people living longer — the demand for skilled aged care workers is increasing. In fact, aged care (together with disability support) is the second highest employing field in the country!
From providing individual support for older people in their own homes, to working as part of a team in a residential aged care facility, there's a range of work available, Whether you're looking for an entry-level job or making a career change, you're entering a field with fantastic opportunities that can offer you a highly rewarding and stable career.
What working in aged care can offer you
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Aged care is also the kind of industry where you can continue growing your skills and knowledge to progress your career, or specialise in a particular area or type of work. Follow the links to find out more about the industry, job and career opportunities, and training options.
Do you need to skill up?
- Training options and pathways
- Fee-free aged care training: Infection control
- Fee-free aged care training: Job Ready skill sets
- Low fee aged care qualifications
- Pre-traineeships and traineeships in aged care
- School-based traineeships, and group training organisations
- Browse our list of aged care courses
- Looking for advice on training, jobs or careers? We can help!
Aged care — How we care says who we are
This video was created to highlight the importance of the aged care industry, and the industry's vision (as written below) to inspire people to want to enhance the lives of others through quality care.
We exist to inspire people to want to care,
enable people to properly care
and enhance life through care.
Because how we care for our ageing
is a reflection of who we are as a nation.
Fast facts: WA's aged care industry
- Aged care is part of Australia's largest employing industry category; Healthcare and social assistance. Aged care and disability support are the second highest employing occupations (following registered nurses in the number one spot)0.
- There's currently over 366,000 people working in aged care across Australia, and this number is expected to grow significantly. In WA, more new jobs are being created in the care sector than any other1.
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- WA’s population of people aged 85 and over is expected to grow by 43.3% over the next 10 years, which will result in a need for more skilled aged care workers. Demand for aged care services is growing particularly in regional areas, as more people are choosing to move out of the city in their later years3.
- Medical advances and changes in technology and patient care requires continuous training and skills development in order to provide best-practice care services. This also creates opportunities for specialising your skills in particular areas, for example; dementia care.
- Of a total population of 23 million, over 1.3 million older Australians currently receive some form of aged care and support services each year. The majority of these (over 839,000 people) receive in-home support, and almost 184,000 people are in permanent residential care2.
- In the year ending 2019, 15.9 per cent of Australia's population was aged 65 years or over4. The United Nations projects Australia's population for people aged 65 years and over will be 7.47 million6.
Useful links and information
- The Commonwealth Government Department of Health - external site undertakes research on the aged care system and its performance
The impact of COVID-19 — Your safety at work
The COVID-19 pandemic presented many challenges for the aged care industry in 2020, and highlighted the importance of infection control procedures. As a result, the aged care industry has implemented stringent policies and processes to ensure the safety of staff. Workplaces are maintained to the highest possible standards, and extensive training — as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) — is provided to all staff to ensure they are able to protect themselves from the risk of infection at work.
What are the main aged care services?
Australia's aged care workforce
Currently employing over 360,000 people, aged care offers opportunities for everyone! Take a look at the following information, for a snapshot of workforce information.
Have you thought about the whole team of people that it takes to provide quality aged care services and support? In addition to carers and nursing staff, many other workers are involved — particularly in residential care.
From the chefs, cooks and nutritionists who prepare daily meals, the laundry and housekeeping team, through to the gardeners and others who maintain the facilities and the office and administration people — it takes a team! It's good to know these career opportunties are available — perhaps you enjoy working with elderly people but don't want a personal care or nursing role — you can look into other areas of work within the industry.
This short video highlights some of the different jobs that the aged care industry offers — you'll hear from people in different occupations and find out what training they've done, how they have established their career in aged care, and what they love about their job.
How do I get a job in aged care?
ow is a great time to consider a career in the aged care industry! Because there's a wide range of occupations within aged care, it's helpful to know about different occupations and the kind of work they involve. What will be a good fit with who you are and what you want for your future? Will you need new skills to get into a particular occupation or job?
Take a look at the following questions, to help get things started.
Am I suited to this kind of work?
Working in aged care will give you some incredibly rewarding experiences, but — as with all jobs — it will also present you with some challenges.
Whilst it's important that you have the skills and knowledge to do the work, it's equally important that you have the right personal attributes as well. Despite qualifications and experience being important, aged care employers consistently rate personal qualities as being most critical for the job.
Ask yourself... are you:
- a good communicator who enjoys chatting with people but is also an excellent listener?
- an honest and genuinely caring person with compassion and empathy, who loves to help others?
- patient and able to adapt yourself to other people's abilities?
- flexible and adaptable enough to handle changes and variety in your daily work?
- ok with providing personal care for others; including toileting, showering and dressing?
- reasonably fit, to handle the physical demands of this work?
- a generally positive person with a "can do" attitude, who enjoys working with people?
If you answered "yes" to most of those questions, you could be well suited to working in aged care!
What do employers look for?
Capecare is an aged care service provider in South West WA, and is working with the State Government and the South West Development Commission to encourage people of all levels of experience and age to explore a career in aged care.
In this video, Capecare talks about the kinds of qualities that they look for in their employees. You'll also hear some of their team members share their personal career experiences and talk about the opportunities available in aged care.
Occupations in aged care
Aged care offers a range of different occupations and job roles, so it's useful to explore these so that you can decide on the kind of work you're interested in doing.
We have over hundreds of occupation profiles you can browse through — visit our Occupation profiles page here
Career stories
Are you looking at aged care for your first job — as a young person, or later in life ? Or maybe you're making a career move voluntarily or have recently lost your job, or you're keen to move into a different industry? The good news is that the aged care industry offers opportunities for all ages, and all stages.
Take a look at this selection of videos, to hear some personal career stories from people in aged care. And remember, you can get free training and career advice, and even assistance applying for jobs, from your local Jobs and Skills Centre!
Starting out
Caitlin started a Certificate III in Allied Health in Year 10, then did a Certificate III in Aged Care as a school-based apprenticeship in Years 11 and 12. Although at first she was not sure whether aged care was the kind of work she wanted to get into, Caitlan now enjoys it so much that she has decided to go to university to do a three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree so that she can become a registered nurse.
Caitlan is a great example of a younger person who has developed her skills, knowledge and maturity through training and experience and is now set on a fantastic career pathway.
Mature aged traineeship
Maria completed a traineeship in aged care, and loved the combination of training and the real hands-on experience of working in an aged care facility for great on the job learning. She even learned how to use a computer, for the first time. Maria is now a qualified aged care worker and loves going to work every day.
Maria says "I thought traineeships were for people who left school or in their teens, but it doesn't matter what age you are — you can still learn new things and have new experiences".
Career change after 20 years
Cyrlene had been working in administration for over 25 years when she decided to follow her heart, and her passion — making the big decision to resign from her job and pursue a career in aged care.
After completing her Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) qualification at TAFE, which she now says has changed her life, Cyrlene started working as a aged care support worker.
One of her goals now is to complete a Certificate IV qualification so that she can learn more and become more professional in her carer role.
From retail to dementia care
Leaving behind a 30-year career in the retail industry, Debbie set her sights on working in aged care — something she had always been interested in — and completed her Certificate III in Individual Support at TAFE.
Debbie says she's always enjoyed her dealings with older people — "They have such interesting stories to tell, they're funny and they really enjoy life," she says, and it was her experience caring for an older family member with dementia that helped her make the decision for a career change. Once she completed her qualification, Debbie did two volunteer shifts at a specialist dementia care facility... and was offered a job!
In this video, Debbie talks about her experience at TAFE as a mature-aged student.
Aged care nursing
Aged care is the fastest growing sector in nursing, with opportunities for nurses from all backgrounds to enjoy a diverse and rewarding career. Aged care nursing is delivered in a range of settings; from specialised hospital wards to rehabilitation centres and also in-home services and in residential aged care. Nursing roles have a clinical focus, and are responsible for the medical aspects of a person's care, but they also involve personal and individual support. Aged care nursing can offer excellent career growth as you can progress through higher levels and/or specialisations and even to supervisory or management roles. There's three main options for working as an aged care nurse; a nurse assistant, enrolled nurse, or registered nurse.
Study pathways into nursing
Vocational education and training (VET) pathways are available if you're considering a career in aged care career.
- The Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (Acute Care) (HLT33115 ) is the qualification required to be an AIN. It covers medical terminology; anatomy and physiology and client care, and includes a work placement component where you will gain hands-on skills and experience working in a healthcare setting.
- The Certificate III in Health Support Services (HLT33215) is available as a traineeship, as a pathway into enrolled nursing.
- The Certificate IV in Preparation for Health and Nursing Studies (52831WA) is a great stepping stone between Certificate III qualifications such as a Certificate III in Individual Support or the Certificate III in Allied Health, and the Diploma level qualification that you'll need for enrolled nursing. This qualification has half price course fees, as part of the Lower fees, local skills program.
Visit the WA Department of Health website to find out more about nursing occupations - external site
Do you need to skill up?
Training options and pathways
When it comes to getting a job in aged care, having skills and knowledge can really give you the edge over other jobseekers. There's a range of vocational education and training courses available at WA TAFEs and private training providers that can set you up to be job ready with the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for.
Once you have identified the type of work you are interested in, and/or the occupation you're going for, you can find a course or qualification that offers the skills and knowledge you'll need to be job ready.
There's a course or qualification for almost every job in aged care — from personal support workers and carers through to allied health professionals, and a range of support roles in areas such as administration, facility management and finance and everything in between! There's never been a better time to get into training; with fee-free courses and low fee training with course fees reduced by half or more for a range of qualifications through Lower fees, local skills!*
Free aged care training: Infection control
We have worked closely with WA's aged care industry employers to find out the types of skills needed right now and for future jobs, and developed free short course skill sets in infection control. Yes that's right, these courses are free for everyone!*
The free infection control skill sets have been developed from nationally recognised vocational training, and are now available from TAFE colleges and a selection of private training providers across WA — some are also available online.
Free aged care training: Job ready skill sets
Not all jobs need a full qualification, and maybe you don't either — skill sets are the perfect solution to get ready for your first job, upskill to move into a different field of work, or update your professional skills and knowledge. These job ready skill sets have been developed in consultation with WA's aged care industry and businesses and employers to deliver fast track training that's focused on job ready skills. And best of all, they're free for eligible students!*
 | Take a look at the following information about the free job ready skill sets, then select the Skill Sets icon on the aged care course list to find out where they're available. |
Low fee aged care qualifications
How would you like to get a nationally recognised and accredited qualification but pay only half-price course fees*? Or even less than half price! And how about a fees cap — that's right, eligible concession students will pay no more than $400 total for course fees in any one year*!
There's a range of qualifications in aged care, and related sectors, that have low course fees under the Lower fees, local skills program and they've all been chosen specifically to match up with the skills employers are looking for!
 | Select the 1/2 Price icon on the aged care course list to see all of the low fees qualifications and find out where they're available. |
Traineeships — A great option for career pathways
Getting a job without any relevant skills or experience is not easy... right? While the aged care industry does offer some entry level jobs that don't require a qualification, you will be able to access a better range of job opportunities if you have some experience, skills and knowledge. That's where pre-traineeships and traineeships come in!
Pre-traineeships are designed to give you job ready skills and knowledge, and a 'taster' of working in a particular industry or job role — in this case, in aged care. The training component of your pre-traineeship is based on nationally accredited vocational education and training (VET) units of competency, and on completion you will receive a nationally recognised Certificate II qualification. This means that if you decide to grow your skills and knowledge through a higher level qualification after your pre-traineeship, you will receive credit for the units you have already completed so you can get that higher level qualification more quickly.
Traineeships combine training with on the job learning — you are employed during your traineeship, so you earn while you learn. A traineeship generally runs over one or two years, and is usually for a Certificate III or IV level qualification. On completion of your traineeship, you will be awarded a nationally recognised qualification. There is no requirement to have completed a pre-traineeship before starting a traineeship; however, if you have already done a pre-traineeship you may receive credit for the units you have already completed, which could shorten the time it takes to complete your traineeship.
To do an apprenticeship or traineeship, you must be employed. So how do you find an employer?
- Call your local Jobs and Skills Centre on 13 64 64 for free information and advice — because they work with local businesses and employers, your local JSC knows where the jobs are!
- You can go out and find an employer yourself, by searching for advertised jobs or contacting a company directly.
- There are a number of Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) providers in WA that are funded by the Australian Government to provide advice and assistance to help you find an apprenticeship or traineeship and organise everything to get you started.
You can find out more on our Apprenticeships and traineeships page here
There's also some great information on the Australian Apprenticeships website - external site about finding an apprenticeship or traineeship, including some useful tips for how to approach employers.
Other options to kickstart your aged care career
Aged care courses
Using this course list
- Use the Skills Ready filter options if you would like to search for fee-free or low fee courses.
- If you're looking for something specific, enter one or more keywords such as "personal care" or ''therapy"
- Use the options to narrow your search by level of qualification, training provider, industry or study area
- To find out more about a course, select its title and then select a TAFE or training provider from the list presented
In this course list we have included study areas that are aligned with the aged care industry but please note that not all courses presented in the list will be related to the aged care industry. If you would prefer to see only the aged care courses, please select 'Aged Care' from the 'Study Area' list.
Assist Clients with Medication Skill Set
National ID : CHCSS00070 | State ID : AD172
This short course skill set is for people working in various care and support roles in the community services industry who wish to develop skills in supporting people to self-administer medication.
Certificate II in Community Health and Wellbeing
National ID : 52890WA | State ID : BGR79
The nationally recognised and accredited qualification provides you with entry level industry specific skills and knowledge to help you get into a traineeship within the Community Services or Health sectors, or gain employment in the Community Services or Health Sector.
Certificate II in Community Health and Wellbeing Pre-traineeship
National ID : 52890WA | State ID : AC67
The nationally recognised and accredited qualification provides you with entry level industry specific skills and knowledge for the Community Services or Health sectors.
Certificate II in Community Services
National ID : CHC22015 | State ID : AWJ7
This nationally recognised and accredited qualification provides an introduction into the community services industry, perfect to help you get an entry level job or go on to further study. Skilled workers in this field are highly sought after, and there's many job opportunities available.
Certificate II in Health Support Services
National ID : HLT23221 | State ID : BID0
Healthcare is a critical part of every day life — keeping people healthy is important! But it's not just all about doctors and highly trained specialists, it takes a huge team of support workers to keep our healthcare system going.
Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care
National ID : HLT30113 | State ID : J581
The role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers is crucial to improving health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers across Australia work in a variety of environments and settings — this can be a highly rewarding career making a difference to people's lives.
Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance
National ID : HLT33021 | State ID : BID3
The healthcare industry is about more than doctors and nurses - it takes a team of allied health workers to support all of the medical services that happen every day across Australia.
Certificate III in Community Pharmacy
National ID : SIR30116 | State ID : AZZ9
The Certificate III in Community Pharmacy will assist you to develop skills and knowledge relating to pharmacy products and customer service; it's perfect for anyone keen to pursue a career in the pharmacy field.
Certificate III in Community Services
National ID : CHC32015 | State ID : AWJ2
Complete the Certificate III in Community Services and you will be on your way to a career as a youth worker, support worker, or family carer.
Certificate III in General Education for Adults
National ID : 22474VIC | State ID : BEH65
Through this supportive training, you will learn planning and setting goals; carrying out projects; advanced reading and writing skills; understand and create a variety of documents; how to manage your money; and maths and problem solving skills.
Looking for training, jobs or career advice? We can help!
If you're interested in working in aged care, your local Jobs and Skills Centre can help with free advice on training and career planning to help you get there! And because they work closely with local employees and industries, they know where the jobs are and how to help you get them. Whether you need help freshening up your CV, writing a job application, or deciding what training course is the best option for you — your JSC can help!
JSCs are located through metropolitan Perth and regional WA, and outreach services are also available in regional areas. All services are free! Contact your local JSC to find out how they can help you.