4 Short Courses That Lead To Good Jobs In Australia
Are you currently unemployed and frustrated with your resume not hitting the mark with potential employers? Job Service Providers can be your best friend if you know how to use them to your benefit. The following article will give you the information you need on the top four ranking nationally accredited courses in Australia with growth potential and current high-volume demand for trained and certified personnel that could lead to good jobs in Australia. Your job provider can offset the cost of this training through various government-funded programs meaning you have no out of pocket expenses you can’t afford anyway. Let’s look at the top four and see where you might be interested.
- White Card Course
- Barista Course
- Security Course
- First Aid and CPR Courses
1. White Card Course
If you plan to seek work in the construction industry or any of the trades that support it, you are required to hold a current White Card (Work Safely in the Construction Industry). The White Card course is a nationally recognised qualification and is a compulsory requirement for anybody seeking or maintaining employment in the construction industry throughout Australia. If you already have the skills and a current trade ticket, this will get you back on a worksite in twenty-four hours.
On average, the White Card course is 6 hours in duration and thanks to Covid-19, it can be undertaken online via a Zoom connection in most cases. However, some providers still require face-to-face classroom time, and the specifics needed for the course will differ from provider to provider.
Research your providers as the average cost of getting your White Card is $170.00. Some Registered Training Organisations offer price beat incentives to trump the competition. Finding a great deal on the same course at a lower price is a bonus.
2. Barista Course
How many times have you stood in a queue waiting patiently for your turn in front of the barista and wondered why it took so long to get a simple cup of coffee? Well … now you find out for yourself why it takes longer to make a barista coffee than to tip freeze-dried granules into a mug and add boiling water, and why, when it is done correctly, a barista coffee tastes out of this world!
Barista courses start at an average price of $120.00 for the very basics, and some go up to $200. As with any industry, the level of skill you wish to learn will dictate the cost of your course and how many hours are required, with the average being three-five hours and as many as twenty for the professional end of the market.
Now, there is a sting in the tail with this course as for most venues outside of a coffee house or café, where there is alcohol or gambling on the premises, you will also be required to hold a current Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) or Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG) certificate. All RTOs accredited to provide barista courses also offer combined packages that include your RSA and RSG certification. Combining all three into one course will set you, or your job provider, back around the $400 mark on average. As with anything in this day and age, you need to shop around for the best deal on the day and find a course that is right for you and convenient to your location.
3. Security Course
In a world that continues to slide deeper and deeper into the Orwellian predicted future, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class are rapidly being eradicated. There has never been a higher demand for security personnel, either professionally or personally, for some CEOs and business owners.
Due to the increasing demand for security, the game has changed significantly from the old muscle for hire who could follow orders and lift heavy things. Security has become big business, and only the top five per cent of most graduates of a course who tick all the boxes and present appeal across all industry sectors are chosen, so competition is fierce. However, suppose you are happy to be a patrol officer or a mall security officer, crowd controller, the bouncer on a door or a control room operator. There are plenty of jobs available in that case, and the demand is growing. You are not restricted to that level forever; you can complement your existing qualifications with supplementary courses that add arrows to your quiver.
The security industry has branched into the high-tech world, and everyone is a potential terrorist these days, with cyber hackers and anarchists on the rise. If you have interests and skills in that area, perhaps taking the time to do some research in the field could lead you into a new and lucrative vocation. As with all the courses in this article, only registered training organisations can give nationally accredited certification upon completion of your course. Having a USI ensures that your credentials can easily be tracked and presented to potential employers for validation.
Courses start at around the $1000 mark for Certificate II in Security Operations, and from that point, you can add to your resume with other courses that further broaden your skillset. If you are working in any venue that serves alcohol or provides gaming facilities, you are required to have the RSA and RSG certification. Even if you don’t plan to work in a venue, it would be wise to get these certificates as they give you a side hustle if ever needed.
4. First Aid and CPR Course
Never has anyone ever said the words, “I wish I’d never learned how to do CPR and First Aid!”. There is a reason for that. Having the knowledge and skills to save someone’s life or provide First Aid when required is a skill you learn once and retain for life. In a world that has become all about having a piece of paper that anoints you as qualified to do the most basic of things, it stands to reason that to do the more complex things you do require education and certification. When was the last time you took a First Aid course? Do you know how to give CPR to an adult and how it differs from the CPR you give to an infant? Can you recognise when someone is in shock, had a stroke or suffered a heart attack? If you said no to any or all of the questions, now is the perfect time to dedicate some of the long winter nights to taking the First Aid and CPR course to add to your resume.
Most workplaces with over twenty staff are required to ensure all staff have basic First Aid training and certification in the workplace as part of the WHS for specific industries. You cannot get a job in construction if you do not have a valid First Aid certificate, and it makes sense. Danger and a potential accident with fatal consequences are only one moment of inattention away. You want to trust that the people you work with have the skills and knowledge to save your life, or at the very least give it everything they have.
First Aid courses are in high demand at present. They can be accessed easily, and thanks to Covid-19, they have become even more accessible, with some providers offering partial online courses or remote location Zoom courses in real-time. A basic First Aid course starts with CPR for around $50. From there, you can add your First Aid certification for the full HLTAID011 Provide First Aid course for around $100. There are then courses for Childcare First Aid or Advanced First Aid. If you are already certified but need to renew or refresh your skills, there are courses for you too. Not only do you learn skills that might save a stranger’s life, but you might save your own or someone you love.
There is no excuse for ignorance when the information is easy to access and significantly cheaper than a night out on the town or a meal for two in a restaurant.
Book Your Course Today!
So, what are you waiting for? Even if it isn’t the vocation of your dreams, learning new skills and having certificates on your resume tells an employer that you are eager to learn new things and that employing you brings additional bonus experience they can draw on hiring someone else would not have. Do yourself a favour, talk to your job provider and research the Registered Training Organisations nearest to you for a course that piques your interest. If nothing else, you will meet new people, make friends and be able to network. We all know it is not what you know but who you know that can get you a job. Go on, put yourself out there for the universe to give you a dream come true and take a life-changing course today.
