In an earlier edition of the BC Labour Market Report, I cautioned individuals from considering occupations that have vague job titles as these occupations are typically unregulated and at the whim of employers. This is another example of such an occupation.
We may call them Community Support Workers or Social Service Workers; but they can just as easily be referred to as child and youth care workers; substance abuse workers; or mental health support workers.
I suppose we can agree on two things. These workers are "workers" and they are not Registered Social Workers. While social workers and social service workers share a great deal in common, social workers are typically required to have a social work degree while social service workers complete a vocational training program at a college or technical institute. In some cases even this is not required and employers are simply looking for someone with high school graduation and experience.
So, here is the big caution. In my review of job postings I noticed two things: there were lots of postings and most (66%) were hiring for part-time positions. This is a major caution. For any occupation where I see this, it suggests to me that we've trained far too many people to work in this occupation or far too many people want to work in this occupation. Employers will typically offer part-time as they can pick and choose from many candidates.
The news is not all bad. Employers pay anywhere from $15-$23 per hour and in many cases they will accept minimal experience. Workers who get certification in First Aid, CPR, chemical dependency training, etc., will see their employment prospects go up significantly. It is definitely a job with a strong outlook where we will see as many new jobs created from retiring workers as we see created for new workers.
Many individuals choose to pursue a career as a social service worker as they can't or won't pursue a full Social Work Degree. They are quite different occupations where social workers exist in a much more analytical, documentation based environment and where social service workers are providing much greater direct-client assistance.
The key for individuals pursuing this occupation, will be to pursue good training and clearly identify the training path most preferred by employers. It is also valuable to consider specialization. I would encourage prospective students to think ahead and determine if they would prefer to work with seniors, youth, homeless individuals, those with addictions, etc. This sort of planning will substantially improve your employment outlook. | 
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