Community Services - making careers count

Delana knows firsthand the impact that community services can make on the lives of vulnerable people.

She was 16 years old and living in supported youth accommodation when she began studying with Fed College and supporting herself financially while also completing her Year 12 equivalent Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).

Now, Delana is working for The Y Ballarat as a youth worker in training and looking forward to a rewarding career in community services assisting youth that find themselves in situations like she previously experienced.

Delana undertook the Vocational Education and Training Delivered to Secondary Students (VETDSS) program alongside her VCAL at Fed College but was initially unsure about which study and career path to follow.

“I’ve lived out of my parents’ home since I was 16 and have been independent since. I decided to do VCAL as it gave me opportunities to discover the sector I’d like to get into or study further in after I finished school.”

“I always knew I wanted to help people, not in the way of a doctor but by helping vulnerable people in bad situations. When I was asked to choose a course to go along with my Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) placement, I discovered what community services and all the endless branches of it was, and straight away knew welfare was meant for me.”

As part of the Certificate III in Community Services program Delana undertook placement with The Y Ballarat Youth programs, aimed at young people aged 12 to 25 and focused on developing positive relationships, life skills and supporting Ballarat region youth to reach their fullest potential in a fun, safe and empowered way.

Delana called on her life and classroom learning to engage with the young clients of The Y Ballarat and impressed her supervisor and colleagues with her passion and skill in working with young people within the community services sector.

Like many students who do work placement Delana was then offered ongoing employment by her host employer and is currently completing a Certificate IV in Community Services traineeship with Federation TAFE.

“I did a SWL placement for many months and after I completed VCAL I stuck around and became a volunteer. When I was offered a traineeship, I took the opportunity to broaden my knowledge and expand my learning.”

Delana is now on her way to being a qualified support worker and is relishing the role and the opportunity to give back.

“The best part of my job is seeing the young people I work with succeed, especially as a lot of them come from such unfortunate backgrounds and circumstances. Seeing them grow and achieve small and big wins and having the opportunity to be a part of those wins makes me so genuinely happy and grateful for my job and this opportunity.”

Delana relates to her clients who she’s close to in both age and experience.

“Being so young myself and working with people who are only a little younger makes it even more special because I feel like I’m making a big difference to people my own age. Being a young person can be hard and learning to navigate the world and yourself can be difficult when you don’t have the right support around you. Being able to be that for these young people is the best feeling and truly fills my cup.”

“If you’re passionate about helping and bringing service to people’s lives, do it, especially if you’re lucky enough to get offered a traineeship like I did. Take on the challenge and the learning.  Be grateful and fully absorb it all because it’s truly such a privilege.”

The Certificate IV in Community Services and Diploma of Community Services are Free TAFE courses.