You don’t need to figure out whether community services is the right sector before you reach out. Most people don’t.
Tell us where you are — school leaver, career changer from retail or hospitality, or someone wanting to test the sector — and we’ll walk through whether CHC22015 Cert II in Community Services makes sense, and whether you’re eligible for subsidised training.
Your future, your way.
You’re curious about community services, youth work, peer support or family support.
You haven’t worked in the sector before and want a low-risk way in.
You can commit to six months of training.
You enjoy working with people and can hold a conversation in a support context.
You’re already working in substantive casework — Cert IV is the better fit.
You can’t make it to Bondi Junction at all — most classroom training happens at our Bondi Junction campus. Some components are available online or in blended delivery where currently endorsed; speak to enrolment about your options.
You’re only interested if it includes a clinical or counselling component.
You’re looking for management-level qualifications.
How to communicate clearly in a community services context — with clients, with colleagues, across cultures.
Cultural awareness, working with people from different backgrounds and circumstances. The foundation skill of the sector.
Recognising what support looks like at a foundational level. Boundaries, referrals, when to step back.
WHS, ethics, mandatory reporting, professional boundaries. The non-negotiables of the sector.
WAYS overlay alongside the qualification — three modules covering wellbeing, employability, and transition to work.
Cert II in Community Services doesn’t have a mandatory placement under the training package — but you still need real workplace evidence for assessment. That can come from existing paid work, volunteer roles, simulated workplace tasks, or our community-services partners.
Trish helps you map your existing experience against the units, and identifies where simulated tasks or short attachments fill the gaps.
Already volunteering somewhere? Bring evidence. Most of your hours probably count.
CHC22015 is subsidised under Smart & Skilled. Most eligible learners pay only a small co-contribution.
Payment plans are standard. We’ll work out a schedule that fits.
If you’ve volunteered or worked in the sector — youth services, community programs, family support — Recognition of Prior Learning recognises those hours. Bring evidence and we’ll work out what counts.
We confirm what you’ll actually pay on the discovery call — no commitment.
Entry-level paid roles in community programs — youth services, family programs, AOD outreach. Where most Cert II graduates start. From $28–$32/hr · SCHCDS Award Level 1.
Lived-experience support roles in mental health, AOD or family services. Cert II is the foundation. Sector is actively recruiting peer workers across NSW.
Frontline assistant roles in NDIS, NFP and government community services — supporting case workers, youth workers and family workers in real settings.
Trish Dable — Trainer & Assessor, Community Services.
Trish leads delivery of the WAYS Community Services qualifications, with deep experience across youth services, AOD, and family services. Honest about the work. Practical about what casework actually involves. Present through the whole journey, not just the classroom hours.
Trish maps your existing volunteer or paid experience against the units, and identifies the gaps. Less stress for you.
Trish leads CS delivery — fifteen-plus years across youth services, AOD and family services. Real stories from real rooms.
Check-ins at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Coordinated referral pathway to WAYS Y&F if you need non-academic support.
The differences below aren’t marketing claims — they’re what makes the journey feel different from week one.
Six things you’ll feel from week one.
No. Cert II is the entry-level qualification — no prior experience required. If you bring volunteer or paid hours from any community-services role, Recognition of Prior Learning may shorten your training time.
No. The training package doesn’t require formal placement, but you do need real workplace evidence for assessment. That can come from existing work, volunteering, simulated tasks at our Bondi Junction facility, or short attachments through our partners.
If you’re Smart & Skilled eligible (most NSW residents are), close to nothing — just a small co-contribution. If not, fees start at $2,500 with payment plans available. Full pricing in the Statement of Fees download in the cost section above.
Where currently endorsed under the Training and Assessment Strategy (TAS), yes — some components can be completed online or in blended mode. Most classroom training runs at our Bondi Junction campus. Specific delivery options depend on the current TAS revision — check the Pre-enrolment Information Statement (linked above) or speak to enrolment for what’s available for your intake.
Yes — most of our students do. The pattern is designed to fit around casual work or volunteer hours. Many step into paid roles before they finish.
Our enrolment team contacts you within one business day for a 15-minute discovery call — no commitment. We check Smart & Skilled eligibility, walk through the journey, and agree what happens next.
No commitment. Just a 15-minute conversation about whether Cert II in Community Services fits where you are now and whether you're eligible for subsidised training. Pick whichever feels easiest:
(02) 9365 2500 — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
We'll call you within one business day — link below.
