Certificate III in Community Services

The Certificate III in Community Services is the second year of the VET Delivered to Secondary Students (VET DSS) Community Services program designed for students who have completed the Certificate II and want to build on their skills and knowledge.

This program is ideal if you are interested in careers like youth work, aged care, disability support, social work, or other community-focused roles.

In this program, you’ll gain hands-on experience, build confidence, and learn how to support individuals and communities in meaningful ways. You’ll take part in practical activities and simulations that mirror real workplace tasks, while also exploring important topics like diversity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity.

• How to implement participation and engagement strategies to support individuals and communities
• How to work within a community development framework to promote inclusion and empowerment
• How to respond to client needs with empathy and professionalism

• Case manager
• Child protection worker
• Out-of-home carer
• Youth worker
• Community or support worker
• Community development officer
• Crisis support and intervention roles
• Alcohol and other drugs worker

Once you finish this program, there are a variety of study options to gain more skills for a career in community services. 

At South West TAFE:

On campus, you can study:

• Certificate IV in Community Services
• Diploma of Community Services
• Certificate III in Individual Support
• Certificate IV in Disability
• Diploma of Nursing

Through a traineeship, you can study while working:

• Community Services including alcohol and other drugs and child, youth and family intervention
• Individual Support

At university:

While this program does not provide a direct university pathway, it can provide a foundation to support future study at university with a degree in:

• social work
• youth work
• community development
• counselling
• human services
• psychology

SWTAFE Warrnambool campus

Thursday afternoons (1pm - 5pm) during the school term.

This course is partial completion only. Upon completion of the program, you will receive a Statement of Attainment listing the successful units completed. You may be able to use the Statement of Attainment to receive credit towards a full qualification, reducing the time and cost of further study.

Credit to ATAR score

Students undertaking this VET DSS program are eligible for credit of up to four VCE VET units on their VCE Statement of Results: two units at Unit 1-2 level and a Unit 3-4 sequence. Students may be entitled to 10% increment towards their VCE.

Study score

Students have the option to undertake scored assessment, and the study score can be fully counted as one of the student's best four studies for ATAR purposes, or will count as a fifth or sixth study increment, if it is not one of the student's four highest scores.

VCE Vocational Major

Students undertaking this VET DSS program through the VCE Vocational Major stream will need to complete a minimum of 180 nominal hours of a VET DSS program over a 2-year period.

This course is partial completion only. Upon completion of the program, you will receive a Statement of Attainment listing the successful units completed. You may be able to use the Statement of Attainment to receive credit towards a full qualification, reducing the time and cost of further study.

Any costs and fees associated with completing this course will managed directly with your school. Please contact your school for further information.

Some courses require specific resources or materials necessary for your study e.g. tools of the trade, uniform, etc. Please check with your school's VET DSS coordinator to determine resource costs applicable to you.

There are 5 steps to applying for a VET DSS program with SWTAFE:

1. Look at your options - chat with your school's VET DSS Coordinator and your parents/guardians about a program that will suit you.
2. Apply - complete a short online application form
3. Complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment online
4. Chat to our team - your SWTAFE teacher or course specialist will contact you to discuss the course in more detail and ensure the right units of study are selected for you.
5. Enrol - once your school approves your VET DSS application, you will be enrolled in the qualification at SWTAFE.