Health & Community
In Tasmania Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employing industry (15.5%) (National Skills Commission, 2022)
Health & Community
Industry Overview
Health Care and Community services are the fastest growing industry in Australia, and the largest employer in Tasmania (National Skills Commission). In 2022, 41,000 Tasmanians were employed in the health sector (Skills Tasmania).
The implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), has provided a further need for health professionals in Tasmania. The broad nature of this sector combined with an aging workforce provides a large number of job opportunities in health and community.
Top Employing Occupations within Tasmanian Health and Community Services includes:
- Registered Nurses
- Aged and Disabled Carers
- Child Carers
- Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers
- Receptionists
- General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers
- Welfare Support workers
- General Clerks
- Physiotherapists
- Kitchenhands
- Psychologists
- Dental Assistance
- Social Workers
- Practice Managers
- Medical Technicians
- Health and Welfare Service Managers
- Commercial Cleaners
- Welfare, Recreation, and Community Arts Workers
- Midwifery
- Receptionists
- Health Therapy/Allied Health Professionals
- Massage Therapy
- Acupuncture
Industry Peak Bodies
- Health (Nursing, general practitioners)
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)- Regulating board for Health and Allied Health practitioners
- ACORN-Australian College of Perioperative Nurses- Standards, research, education
- Medical Board Australia– Regulating board for Medical doctors
- Australian Medical Council– assesses international medical graduates who wish to practice medicine in Australia
- The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia– sets policy and professional standards
Social Work
- Australian Association of Social Workers– regulatory board, professional policies, and practice
- TasCOSS– Council for social services, education, and advocacy
Psychologists
- Psychology Board of Australia-regulatory body, registration, and accreditation
Physiotherapists
- Physiotherapy board of Australia-regulatory body
Occupational therapy
- Occupational Therapy Australia– association, membership information, and training
Dental
- Dental Board Australia– the regulatory body
Mental Health
- Mental Health Council of Tasmania– Peak body mental health services in Tasmania
- Tasmanian Transcultural Mental Health Network– education and advocacy
Aged Care
- Aged and Community Services Tasmania– advocacy and education
- PICAC Alliance– Culturally Appropriate and relevant aged care advocacy and education
Disability
- National Disability Services Tasmania– advocacy and education
- Carers Tasmania– support for people caring for loved ones who are disabled, ageing, and or experiencing mental ill-health
Diversity and Multiculturalism
- FECCA– advocacy and education for culturally and linguistically diverse people groups
Industry awareness
- An overview of occupations and training pathways in the Health and Community industry is provided by the Tasmanian government’s Skills Tasmania Webpage.
- Myskills provides a good summary of the health and community services industry along with information on apprenticeship and traineeships and ways to improve your career skills
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Qualifications
Vocational Qualifications
- Certificate III Individual Support
- Certificate III in Community Services
- Certificate III in Health Support Services
- Certificate IV in Community Services
- Certificate III in Health Services Assistance
- Certificate IV in Leisure and Health
For more information on attaining certificate qualifications for Health and Community Services look at some of the courses offered at TasTafe.
The University of Tasmania offers bachelor and master programs in many health and community roles.
Tertiary Qualifications
- Bachelor of Health and community services
- Bachelor of Health Science
- Bachelor degree in Medicine
- Bachelor degree in Occupational Therapy
- Bachelor degree in Podiatry
- Bachelor degree in Speech Pathology
- Bachelor degree in Dentistry
- Bachelor degree in Nursing
- Bachelor degree in Midwifery
- Bachelor degree in Social Work
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Career Development
Industry training
The Tasmanian Government is committed to the support and protection of vulnerable people in Tasmania. Therefore, the Working with vulnerable person registration is a centralized background check for people working with vulnerable people to reduce the risk of harm and negligence.
Read more about this registration here.
CBOS has an online registration form.
Self-directed learning
Volunteering in the health and community sector can give you a better idea of if this type of work is right for you. Volunteering experience is also great to add to your resume. Volunteering Tasmania can help connect you with a meaningful volunteering experience in the health and community sector.
Menzies Institute for medical research offers many free online courses.
The Tasmanian Transcultural Mental Health Network provides resources and information on mental health and how it affects those from a CALD background
The TasCOSS how to library– provides a central information point for those looking for information on the community services industry.
Career skills
Most health and community roles will provide induction and training related to your role when you commence your position.
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Networking
Industry networks
Healthy Tasmania – This scheme is a government funded initiative aiming to make Tasmania Australia’s healthiest population by 2025.
Department of Communities, Tasmania – This website provides a comprehensive picture of the services available to community members.
Health and Community Services Union – The HACSU is Tasmania’s largest and strongest union, providing many benefits for members. These include legal, professional and retail benefits.
Tasmanian Health Service – The Tasmanian Health Service provides and coordinates public sector health services and health support services through a range of inpatient, outpatient, community health, residential aged care and in-home settings.
Subscribe
- Primary Health Tasmania – this newsletter provides information on current health innovations and profiles of people working within the field.
- Health and Community Services Union – This union provides newsletters and information on a range of health-related topics, allowing individuals to learn and stay up to date with relevant information.
- Tasmanian Transcultural mental health network – publishes newsletters and other resources on mental health
- TasCOSS newsletter– news on community services industry in Tasmania
- National Disability Services membership– news on disability sector in Tasmania, professional networking opportunities
Follow on Facebook or LinkedIn
- Volunteer Tasmania – Facebook
- Menzie’s Institute of Medical Research – Facebook
- Tasmanian Health Service – LinkedIn
- Department of Health, Tasmania – LinkedIn
- Royal Hobart Hospital – Linkedin
- Primary Health Tasmania – LinkedIn
- Mental Health Council of Tasmania – LinkedIn
- Southern Cross Care (Tas) – LinkedIn
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
What Employers Want
Job advertisements highlight valuable skills
- Registration with relevant accreditation from governing/peak body
- Relevant degree or certificate to role
- Demonstrated ability to work in team settings
- Basic computer skills
- Registration to work with vulnerable persons
- An updated criminal record check
- Evidence that you can meet the required selection criteria
Potential selection criteria questions to prepare for
- Experience and demonstrated knowledge and skills in relation to liaison and consultation with other services and agencies in the context of optimizing effective and efficient service provision, advice and training, and continuity of care.
- Well-developed written and verbal communication skills, including the capacity to effectively function in a multidisciplinary environment
- Demonstrated commitment to develop and participate in ongoing quality assurance activities, research, and student education.
- An understanding of relevant legislation and professional practice standards including Work Health and Safety Legislation, Workplace Diversity Guidelines, the Mental Health Act, and Discipline Codes of Ethics and Professional Practice
- Demonstrated understanding of and personal commitment to the principles of clinical supervision.
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Finding Jobs in Tasmania
Set up an account and search alert on Seek, Jora, and Indeed.
Healthcare Australia (HCA) has lists of job opportunities for Nurses and Midwives, Support Workers, Doctors, Allied Health, HCA Corporate Health, and Aged Care and Disability Care Services.
Hays Recruiting Expert Worldwide Tasmania are experts in recruiting permanent jobs, locum and temporary staff for Australia’s healthcare section. Click here to search for the healthcare area you are interested in.
The Department of Health and Human Services in Tasmania offer great diversity with varied employment opportunities in a wide range of health and well-being services.
Searson Buck Group is a Tasmanian-based employment agency that works with local employers to secure the right people for their jobs. Searson Buck Group offers opportunities to start a new career, re-entering the workforce or further opportunities to progress in their chosen career. Click here to check out the current job vacancies or register here to increase your chance of securing a job by hearing about it first.
NurseLine is a well established nursing and health recruitment agency which is a division of Searson Buck Group Tasmania.
Randstad is dedicated to playing a pivotal role in the world of work. Use their search engine for current vacancies in healthcare.
Mediserve is a leading provider of nurses to rural and remote healthcare facilities Australia wide.
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Industry Advice
Skills in demand in healthcare identified by Hays recruiting company for 2021 include:
Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and Psychologists in Allied Health at all levels, including graduates, to work in the community sector with NDIS participants as well as the aged care sector;
Mental Health Practitioners and Clinicians with social work or psychology degrees and professional registrations who can work in a range of settings, including phone-based triage services and case management in government and non-government organisations;
Family Violence Specialists with social work, counseling, or psychology degree to provide counseling services, case management, and men’s behavior change programs within court services and the community.
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Job Seeker Tips
The requirement to submit selection criteria is part of the application process of most health and community jobs. The Department of health Tasmania offers some tips on how to write selection criteria.
Health Care Selection Criteria also provides a variety of examples of selection criteria for jobs within the Health and Community sector.
HEALTH & COMMUNITY
Acknowledgements
The Migrant Network acknowledges the invaluable input from the industry.
“Most useful was resume making (I came to know many wonderful things).” Skilled migrant, 23 January 2021.
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About MRC Tas
Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (MRC Tas) is a not-for-profit organisation that has been supporting people from migrant and humanitarian backgrounds to settle successfully in Tasmania since 1979.
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About Migrant network tasmania
Migrant Network Tasmania draws on the goodwill, stories and tips of migrants and the wider community to help fellow migrants to establish lives and careers in Tasmania.