Blog

From the day children are born, we start taking note of their milestones. From first words to first steps, the first birthday and a child’s first day in early learning. Each achievement is exciting but they can also make parents feel nervous or overwhelmed as a new stage begins for their child and for the […]

The new year is coming and now is the time to start considering how you will succeed and grow professionally in the coming year. Familiarising yourself with aged care traineeships could be a good place to start. An aged care service requires high quality aged care workers to thrive. Finding skilled, knowledgeable carers to join […]

The early childhood education sector offers a promising career for those seeking work that is fulfilling and makes a genuine difference each day. When entering this sector it’s worth assessing your short and long term goals. From here, you can get to exploring your career progression opportunities — after all, where you start out may […]

Culture is a fundamental part of identity and shapes who we are. The way we look, think, communicate, behave, celebrate holidays and even what we eat is tied in with our cultural backgrounds. Cultural differences are everywhere and in early childhood settings there will be families from a wide variety of cultures. Acknowledging and celebrating […]

Getting started in the rewarding early childhood sector can provide a career that is fulfilling and has a positive impact on future generations. For people who want to make a difference in the world, working with children is an excellent choice. As well providing a career that brings a sense of purpose to your life, […]

When we read interviews with the oldest living people in the world, everyone always wants to ask ‘What is your secret?’. However, research suggests that there may not be just one silver bullet to feel good and live a long life, rather a combination of factors. Some of these factors we can’t control, such as […]

Did you know that you can leverage your experience, passion and caring instinct and turn it into a meaningful and fulfilling career? For many, caring for others comes naturally. An innate ability to recognise someone’s needs and an in-built desire to help them and ensure they are okay. In many instances natural carers take on […]

As we all begin to return to life with our freedoms, social lives and careers back on track after the extended lockdowns, now is a great time to start asking yourself how you can take control over your career and what your next steps could be. As the pandemic unfolded, workplaces were forced to adapt […]

Starting fresh with a new career begins with finding the right qualifications to meet your goals. A Certificate III in Individual Support is the perfect place to start for those seeking a fulfilling career where you can make a difference every day.     Growing older, many of us will need to have a helping […]

Life has changed a lot in the last couple of years, to say the least. From masks to working from home, checking in at shops and cafes and periods of not being able to leave the house or see loved ones. Along with school children taking on remote learning from their homes, those studying or […]

For many, especially in Victoria and New South Wales, pre-pandemic life seems a distant memory after almost two years of studying from home, working from home, and/or adapting to challenging circumstances as essential workers in aged care and early childhood education. With rising vaccination rates across the country and restrictions easing, the time has come […]

Each day across Australia carers are doing valuable work supporting those who are in need. This week is National Carer’s Week — the perfect opportunity to take the time to reflect on just how vital the role of carers is in our communities. In fact, carers are crucial to our health care system and underpin […]

An international day dedicated to raising awareness and promoting mental health education, World Mental Health Day takes place on Sunday 10 October. In 2021, the World Mental Health Day theme is Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality. What better time to reflect on mental health and its impact, particularly during the […]

As early childhood educators, children’s mental health and wellbeing is always a top priority. Mental health challenges can impact many, and children are no exception. While children can be resilient and adaptable, their mental health can be affected which can in turn can affect other areas of their lives. There are many reasons why a […]

For many who are working or have worked in a career in the care sector, it’s hard to imagine doing a job without a sense of purpose. Care careers add meaning to your life and are fulfilling in a way that not many other career paths can offer.     Working as a carer, you […]

Increasing occupancy in early childhood education settings is a priority for many childcare service providers. While the sector has been booming, attracting families and growing your centre requires ongoing efforts. With a range of factors impacting occupancy rates, including the pandemic and increasing competition in the sector, it is important to utilise innovative ways to […]

One of the most critical ways a child learns and develops is through play. It goes without saying that playing is fun for children, but did you know it can shape the structural design of the brain? Research supports play-based learning as a key element for optimising children’s brain development.     In Australia, play-based […]

Throughout elderly people’s lives, technology has advanced dramatically. From breakthroughs that saw humans land on the moon, developments on the medical front and the introduction of the internet, technological progress has set a rapid pace. Fast forward to today and video calling with people across the globe is easily and instantly achievable from the comfort […]

There are many elements involved when it comes to building and maintaining a high-quality early childhood education service. From effective recruitment to keeping educators feeling happy and inspired, working on your NQS Rating, effective marketing and more. It’s also essential to understand the importance of focusing on the relationships you create with families. And not […]

For many aged care residents, aged care workers – either in residential care or home care – may be the only people they have seen in quite some time. Unfortunately, there are many elderly people who are not visited by family or friends, or perhaps do not have family and friends to visit them. The […]

Early childhood education services have been impressive in their swift pandemic response, making vital changes to the way they operate when faced with restrictions and lockdowns. Deemed by the Government as an essential service early in the pandemic, early childhood education centres have been a source of stability and support for many families and children. […]

Since early 2020 Australians along with the rest of the world have been faced with dramatic and challenging changes to the way we live. The COVID-19 virus and subsequent pandemic has resulted in a new and seemingly ever-changing way of life in a bid to protect people’s health and safety and prevent healthcare systems from […]

For many ageing Australians, staying at home and living independently for as long as possible is a top priority. In fact, each year more Australians are choosing home care as a means of continuing to enjoy life in the comfort of their own homes and familiar surroundings. We spoke with the team at Home Instead, […]

By Heleni Bagiartakis, Strategic Growth & Partnerships Manager at Catalyst Education As seen on LinkedIn, published 12 August 2021.  It is unquestionable – the age care sector is facing the greatest overhaul in its history. For decades, many strong, admirable and even inspirational leaders have steered the course for hundreds of thousands of older people […]

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety launched in 2018 with the purpose of reviewing aged care services in Australia. Earlier this year, it released its final report, including 148 recommendations as part of reforming and improving the aged care system. Among the recommendations is to make a Certificate III in Individual Support […]

Aged care and personal care workers play an amazing role in the lives of others; not only supporting their daily needs, but lighting up their days with company and compassion. Caring for others is rewarding, and to sustain your energy as an aged care or personal care worker you also need to prioritise your own […]

The career you choose, or fall into, when you first enter the workforce is probably not going to be the career you are in throughout your lifetime. For many, careers can take twists and turns including stints in a variety of different sectors. For 15 years, Ming Choo was a chef at one of the […]

We all want to find that dream career that doesn’t feel like work at all, but when you’re exploring career options it can be difficult to know which is right for you. A lot goes into making the right choice that will hopefully lead to choosing a career that is a good fit. For example, […]

Life can be challenging at times, and perhaps for many the last 18 months have been particularly difficult. Staying optimistic when life seems to continually throw obstacles in the way isn’t easy. Neither is keeping up engagement and motivation when it comes to work, life commitments and even self-care. The pandemic has resulted in many […]

The average person is likely to spend around a third of their time at work over the course of a lifetime. Sure, this figure is approximate and will vary from person to person, but whatever way you look at it most of us will spend a hefty amount of our life in our job. With […]