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Breaking Down Employment Barriers For Parents

A recent research report has highlighted the barriers to re-entering the workforce after raising children. These barriers included time limitations around holidays and school hours, lack of experience or out-dated experience, low confidence, constrained job opportunities and insufficient employer flexibility. Geographical distance was also a large consideration, with most families wanting at least one parent within a short distance of their children’s child-care or school, in case of emergency.

Parents who were able to return to work, whether full-time or temporarily, generally experienced positive outcomes. They felt that work provided them with a sense of purpose and achievement, as well as independence, self-esteem and the opportunity for social connection. They felt that being part of the workforce set a positive example for their children, in addition to financial benefits, with a number of parents concerned about their lack of superannuation.

The most difficult aspect of work/life balance for families to juggle is the desire to “be there for the kids” and to not miss out on important moments or milestones. Flexibility was mentioned numerous times: The flexibility to work hours that fit with school and child-care, the flexibility to work part-time or casually, the flexibility to work around school holidays.

Cire Training are pleased to be offering three qualifications in fields that address the concerns of our local parents who wish to re-enter the workforce. Our Certificates in Early Childhood Education & Care, Individual Support (Aged Care/Disability) and Education Support (Teacher’s Aide) will give you the skills you need to find work in these rewarding growth industries.

We identified these industries as avenues to employment for families in the region as they’re already experiencing high demand, which is projected to increase over coming years. They offer a range of options from casual/relief work to full-time hours and allow you to design a work schedule that works for your lifestyle, allowing you to spend more time with your family.

These industries each allow you to play a vital role in the story of our community and its residents. You will finish each day with the knowledge that you work in a job that enriches the lives of others, as well as your own.

Our unique blend of theoretical learning with guaranteed practical placements mean you’ll finish your studies work-ready, with 85% of our students obtaining paid work post-graduation. Our one-on-one student support and qualified trainers will enable you to learn at your own pace, at one of our three locations, conveniently situated across the Yarra Ranges.

With no waiting lists and enrolments now open for 2020, don’t hesitate to take the first steps towards a new career. Cire Training will be hosting three free information sessions where we will describe the qualifications we have available, discuss possible career pathways and answer any questions you may have.

Don’t miss out! Visit our online Career Planning hub to reserve your free space now or contact a member of our friendly training team on 1300 835 235.

Embark on a rewarding new career in Individual Support!

Would you like to embark on a career that allows you to change people’s lives for the better? Do you pride yourself on your compassion, ability to empathize and your desire to help others?

Do you want to work in a rewarding, growing industry that can offer you employment opportunities, job security and flexible working arrangements?

Undertaking study in Individual Support doesn’t just qualify you to become a carer: it provides you with the skills you need to play a vital role in your clients’ unique life stories. You will care for people during their most vulnerable moments and sit with them through difficult times. Your companionship will help prevent the social isolation that has been identified as a cause of numerous health issues, both physical and psychological. You will provide your clients with the support they need to face their personal challenges and you’ll become part of the rich tapestry of our local community.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s Labour Force Survey, there will be over 250,000 employment opportunities in Healthcare and Social Assistance by 2023, with a 39% increase in Aged and Disability Carer roles. Census data identifies Aged Care Residential Services as a major industry of employment across the Yarra Ranges. Opportunities in the field will only continue to increase, with the number of people requiring some form of care projected to double by 2050.

Working in Individual Support is about more than just job security and industry growth. Your work will also be enriching, varied and interesting. Forget spending 9am-5pm stuck behind a desk! One day you might be assisting clients with mobility and daily activities, the next you could be organising social events and accompanying them out-and-about. You will become familiar with your client’s personalities, quirks, behaviours and empower them to make the improvements they need to live their lives to the fullest.

Cire’s Certificate III in Individual Support offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and 120 hours of practical, hands-on work placement. You will learn the foundational skills required to work safely and recognize health body systems, feel confident working closely with a diverse range of people, and be able to provide high-quality individualized care. You will be able to communicate with health-care professionals and monitor your client’s wellbeing. Based on your choice of electives, you may also learn to facilitate the empowerment of older people, provide dementia support and develop the knowledge required to work with a palliative approach.

Here at Cire, we believe in choice. We want you to have control over your own learning and future pathways. With this in mind, we’ve developed three different learning streams within the Certificate III. You can choose to specialize in Home and Community Care, Aged Care or Disability depending on your desired career outcome. You can also decide to study all three, giving yourself a broad general knowledge that will allow you to pursue a variety of roles.

A qualification in Individual Support provides a range of job opportunities, depending on your chosen learning stream. Upon graduating, you may find yourself working as an aged care support worker, a personal care attendant, a residential worker or in respite care.

The Certificate III runs across 7 months at our Yarra Junction Campus, with new enrolments being accepted throughout 2020. Our courses include a mix of classroom sessions, work placement and self-directed learning.

We’ll be running free information sessions, aiming to provide you with everything you need to make the right decision when it comes to enrolling in a qualification. These will cover the courses offered by Cire Training, future career pathways and more!

Click here to reserve your free space.

Free TAFE – How have you found it?

The Free TAFE for Priority Courses initiative was released by the Victorian Labor Government in May 2018, with its commencement in January 2019. Shortly after the Adult, Community and Further Education Board (ACFE) announced a support package to assist Learn Local Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). This support package was designed to assist RTOs such as Cire Services, Ringwood North Neighbourhood House, the Pines and others delivering the priority courses. This was designed to support Learn Locals to:

  • Change their focus and course offerings
  • Develop pathway programs
  • Support existing learners.

This was an interesting change in direction given that all Learn Local RTOs exist to support learners and their community to engage in the local area. Learn Local providers across Victoria offer a range of education and training programs designed to meet local learning needs. Whether you are returning to work after caring for children or a family member, following an injury or a period of unemployment your Learn Local is the place to start.

Learn Local tuition fees are affordable and often very similar to the TAFE charges with the ‘Free initiative’.

Cire Services has worked hard to change its scope of registration in order to develop pathway programs to TAFE. At this stage, there has been no interest from TAFEs to participate or work together offering a pathway for students.

So the question is ‘are Free TAFE Courses free’? No!

This initiative only covers tuition fees, other fees such as study materials, amenities and graduation must still be paid for. Eligible students can access one free TAFE Course in a lifetime. Since the beginning commencement over 19, 000 people have flocked to TAFE to enrol in such a course.

So what has your experience of free TAFE been like? Would you recommend it?

A recent article in the Age newspaper paints a picture of trainer shortage, ballooning class sizes, cancellations of classes and ‘multiple groups of students at different stages of the course being lumped together in one big class’. (Andrew Cowper, the Age, July 2, 2019) ‘Mr Cowper and his classmates have lodged a complaint with the Australian Community Services Association, a professional body which accredits community services courses’, read the full article here.

The issue with such an initiative is that it shifts students from small Learn Local RTOs, where the student support and learning occurs in small classes with a welcoming environment, compared to large public institutions that are often overwhelming. Cire Training offers courses that provide a pathway to employment in the Valley. Eighty-five per cent of our students have gained employment by the time they graduated. Our tuition fees are affordable and we provide support for all our learners, said Anna-Louise Allen, Executive Manager, Education and Training.

Another issue that has arisen from the explosion of enrolments in Free TAFE is access to work placement. This is a very important part of a student’s study in Vocational Education and Training (VET). There is a limit to the number of placement students an organisation can successfully accommodate, as this requires a supervisor’s time and exposure to the right sorts of programs. Students of free TAFE report difficulties in gaining a placement without any support. Anna-Louise stated that ‘Cire Services have experienced a significant increase in the requests for placement opportunities across our services’.  While the Free TAFE program may well have driven huge numbers to TAFE it has been at the expense of quality support and leads to the demise of many Learn Local RTOs. The VRQA reports an ongoing decline in the number of Learn Local RTOs registered within Victoria. ‘This is a cohort that would be a great loss to the community’ said Anna-Louise Allen, Executive Manager, Education and Training.

Cire Training is now taking enrolments in aged care, early childhood hood education and care and education support. Don’t delay getting your qualification when you can train with Cire in 2019 with the goal of gaining employment in 2020. The following courses are available at our Yarra Junction campus, making training accessible for people who live in the Upper Yarra region.

Further information on our courses:
CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support
CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
CHC50113 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support

If you have any questions call 1300 835 235 or email training@cire.org.au