Blog

  The avoidance of infection outbreak and management to reduce its reach are high priority in any sector, but particularly when your work environment involves caring for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.   The right knowledge and practical skills are needed to protect those in your care from infection, and ensure that the outbreak’s risk of […]

Humans of Selmar: Melissa Walters Graduate & Centre Director // Goodstart Early Learning Torquay   With a love for children, a child care career was a natural choice for Melissa Walters, Centre Director of Goodstart Early Learning Torquay. Melissa’s career in child care started straight out of high school, completing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education […]

Organisations which invest in the knowledge and skills of their people are rewarded with better business outcomes – and this is particularly true of the aged care sector. With a Royal Commission exploring aged care quality and safety in full swing, the spotlight is on this important industry which is set to care for a […]

     Humans of Selmar: Mei Lee Teoh Graduate & now Assistant Director // Guardian: Kids Time McKinnon When it comes to passion in the workplace, Mei’s love for her child care career is truly contagious. A qualified teacher in Malaysia, moving to Melbourne saw Mei ready to make a bit of a career shift and she […]

Start the New Year inspired with 15 good news stories you may have missed in 2018 Sometimes it is hard to feel optimistic at times in a world saturated by negative media, in particular social media and an abundance of ‘fake news’. When negative stories sell and are frequently served up on our screens, it’s […]

The Victorian state government as part of its recent election promises, is offering free TAFE on a selection of priority courses for eligible students across Victoria. Priority courses were determined for industries that have a high demand for skilled workers and includes over 30 priority non-apprenticeship courses and 20 apprenticeship pathway courses. A range of […]

Deciding on the course that’s right for your career path can be tricky enough, then there’s the other important decisions like how to choose between the online child care courses available to you. Don’t worry — while not all online courses are created equal, we’ve rounded up some essentials to look for when finding the […]

Christmas can be an exciting time, full of joy and festivities, so how can we celebrate with seniors in aged care? There are little things you can do in your aged care facility to harness the spirit of Christmas and put a smile on the faces of your residents. Channel the benefits of art therapy […]

As seen on catalysteducation.com.au Catalyst Education, one of Australia’s leading providers of high-quality vocational education and training (VET) in the important aged care, disability and early childhood education sectors has appointed Marcus Sellen as Chief Executive Officer. Catalyst Education is the corporate umbrella for Selmar Institute of Education. Marcus is a respected vocational education entrepreneur and practitioner […]

It was a fantastic opportunity to join like-minded industry professionals at the ‘Building a Quality Aged Care Workforce’ conference, with the shared aim that we are so passionate about – developing strategies to meet the workforce needs of the aged care industry   Creating positive change through collaboration in training and education   The future […]

When it comes to supporting the local community and giving people the opportunity to access a range of resources to achieve their goals, Melton South Community Centre gets it right. A hub for those looking for support groups or keen to take on short courses in a community group setting, Melton South Community Centre works […]

School readiness is a topic that the early childhood education industry is focused on enhancing, and for good reason — after all, childcare and kindergarten is where educators get the opportunity to give children the necessary tools to transition to life as schoolchildren! To support funded kindergarten programs in preparing children for the next stage […]

Everyone likes a win-win, don’t they? And supporting a team of employees in accessing professional development opportunities is just that. Professional development in child care is an investment into your business and its most important resource – its people.   Being proactive about building the skills of your workforce is a simple yet incredibly effective […]

As the aged care sector evolves at lightening pace a number of unique recruitment challenges have emerged. And with aged care booming, it is clear that the industry is set to become a huge employer in Australia. In fact, according to a Hesta report titled Transforming Aged Care, by 2050 the aged care workforce will […]

The most recent report from IBIS World on aged care residential services in Australia suggests that the aged care industry’s revenue is now worth more than $20bn – employing more than 256,000 Australians within over 1,800 businesses. These numbers may seem staggering, but this is only the beginning for aged care in Australia. In the […]

The month of October the Victorian Seniors Festival is on, and to honour this we’re highlighting some of the incredible feats achieved by the oldest people in our community. Senior simply means ‘of a more advanced age’, yet it can be attached to unflattering connotations – namely about being less capable. Flying in the face of this, […]

A look at aged care through the eyes of our trainers. Aged care trainers: Cheryl Peacock, Sally Forbes and Karen Richards It’s often said that working in aged care isn’t a job that’s chosen at random, instead, it’s a vocation – people have a strong feeling it’s what they are meant to do. Sometimes it […]

Professional development in early childhood education is something that we are passionate advocates of, and the ECMS Beyond Tomorrow Conference is an excellent example of what childcare services can do as a team to continue to build on their knowledge and skills and stay up to date in the industry. It all took place on August […]

In a time where it can seem like jobs and industry growth are uncertain, there’s one area in Australia that’s booming: Child care services, which is always generating plenty of child care jobs. In fact, people of all ages are undertaking child care courses, keen to join the country’s ever-growing industry. According to IBIS World, […]

    While learning and studying can come easily for some people, there are many others who dread the idea of starting a course. Many students are keen to get qualified but have experienced learning difficulties which make it hard to imagine the thought of studying again. Getting qualified isn’t a journey you need to take alone! We […]

     Humans of Selmar: Mary Fennessy, Student Support Coordinator   Getting qualified isn’t a journey you need to take alone, and with committed support from people like Mary Fennessy, why would you? Let’s face it, the thought of studying can be daunting. Add in work and family commitments, you can quickly feel overwhelmed. But it doesn’t […]

Top 5 tax hacks for students If you’re a student who’s wondering ‘ What can I claim at tax time? ‘, you might be surprised to learn of these five hacks to maximise your tax return. Don’t let these tax deductions slip past you while you’re studying. With tax time coming up at the end […]

Selmar’s practical placement co-ordinator, Kylie Jackson is passionate about the importance practical work placement plays for students and takes great pride in making it a valuable and positive experience.     We all know what an important industry early childhood education is. Providing nurturing care as well as play-based learning experiences to enhance children’s development during the […]

If you have recently becoming a Permanent Resident in Australia, Congratulations! Living in Australia gives you so many opportunities to enjoy, but you might be feeling concerned about finding employment as a Permanent Resident. Not to worry, as there are many industries in Australia with rewarding career options for you to explore. Aged care is […]

You’ve been researching first aid courses online and they all seem okay, but how do you know if they are genuine? You want an accredited first aid certificate that is nationally recognised, and not all trainers offering first aid courses can deliver that. Telling the difference between genuine, accredited first aid courses and ones that […]

The aged care industry has many roles on offer to enjoy throughout your career. A position you might like to pursue is that of Aged Care Team Leader. This role involves leading a team of carers to ensure the highest standard of care is provided at all times. The position description for an Aged Care […]

There are many roles to pursue in an early childhood education career. One position in a child care setting is Room Leader. This is the educator who is responsible for running a room. To become a Room Leader you’ll need experience along with the right qualifications. Things that are expected of a Room Leader can vary […]

Now that you know what to expect at a child care job interview, its time for your next move. Many people accept that after your child care job interview, it is really just a waiting game. But it doesn’t have to be. You can take steps to impress your prospective employer even after the interview […]

Getting the call to schedule a job interview for a role you applied for is exciting and means a big opportunity is in front of you. It’s no surprise then that so many people feel anxious and nervous at the thought of it. Knowing what to expect from your child care job interview can help […]

Now that you know what to expect at an aged care job interview, its time for your next move. Part of the process of applying for jobs is standing out from the other applicants. A professional, thought-out resume can get you an aged care job interview, and then you need to really shine. Good interview […]