As the human services industry experiences unprecedented growth, ACAP University College is preparing Australia’s much-needed future workforce for success with dedicated Careers and Employability Advisor Natarsha Holmes-Archer.
No industry in Australia has as many projected jobs on the horizon as the caring industries; health care and social assistance.
ACAP University College’s commitment to student success extends well beyond graduation, with dedicated Careers and Employability Advisor Natarsha Holmes-Archer helping students transform their passion for helping others into thriving careers.
Since joining ACAP in November 2024, Natarsha has used her 13 years of experience as a careers coach to establish a comprehensive careers and employability service that includes one-on-one coaching sessions, with over 25 spots available per week for students to book, an online Employability Toolkit, a series of podcasts and short cut videos and an upcoming webinar program to support students throughout their academic journey.
“Being supported along the way to help you curate your career and your pathway and your personal brand– all those things set you up for success beyond study,” Natarsha said, explaining she brings her own experience as a mature-age career-changer to her role.
Preparing for a growing industry
The Careers and Employability Advisor position has been established to prepare graduates for a crucial time in Australia’s human services sector, as it experiences unprecedented growth. Health care and social assistance is Australia’s largest and fastest-growing industry, jobs predicted to increase by 25 per cent over the next ten years.1 Meanwhile legal jobs are also growing at a steady rate.
For ACAP students specialising in psychology, counselling, social work, coaching, law and criminology, this translates to excellent career prospects.
This growth is driven by several factors, including Australia’s aging population and increased recognition of mental health needs across all demographics.
“The care industry demand is outstripping supply,” Natarsha said.
Building professional identity
Despite plenty of work, Natarsha said many people in caring professions can struggle to advocate for themselves professionally.
“People who are carers don’t often like to talk about themselves,” she said.
“They don’t often like to say, ‘look at what I’ve done and I am great at this’. It’s more about, ‘how can I help someone else?’”
Her dedicated service helps students develop their professional identity and articulate their value to potential employers from day one.
“We want to help students from enrolment to graduation with all aspects of career development, from resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, Job searching strategies, networking and thinking positively about the future,” she said.
Natarsha’s role also goes beyond career skills, extending to employability skills that set students up for their whole career. Employability skills focus on developing students’ ability to recognise the professional skills and competencies that will set them up for life.
“Employers want to hire someone who has the ability to do the job, but they also want someone who is able to continue to grow and evolve,” Natarsha said.
“Our goal is to help ACAP students and graduates recognise this – and be able to confidently and competently evidence it to potential employers.”
Supporting Career Changers
As someone who returned to university at 44 after a decade out of the workforce raising children, Natarsha relates to the needs and experiences of ACAP’s many mature-age students and career changers.
She advises them to turn to the experts when considering a career change.
“Find someone who’s doing something that you want to do and ask them about their day-to-day job,” she said.
“Just reach out and ask, “would you mind if we had a quick chat?'”
The establishment of the comprehensive careers service reflects ACAP University College’s commitment to student-centred practices and scholarship, building on 40 years of experience in higher education with evolving offerings for successful graduates.
Natarsha said above all when it comes to deciding what to study, to keep your future career options front of mind.
“You need to be practical about a career path,” she said.
“Find a particular sector that is growing, don’t go for something that is declining. Thankfully, the caring industry is certainly growing.”
For more information about studying with ACAP visit our website: Explore ACAP Courses Now | Applications Are Open
