The field of health, wellness and social care offers a diverse range of career opportunities, and it is one of the fastest-growing career fields both in South Africa and abroad.

As a professional in this field, you could work in either a supportive, clinical, or administrative role, depending on your interests, experience, and training background.

Let’s take a deeper look at the career options in this industry:

The health, wellness and social care industry is focused on helping people to live healthy lifestyles and to overcome social and health-related obstacles so that they can contribute to society and perform at their best, both personally and professionally.

If you care about improving other people’s quality of life, and if you are seeking a career where you can use your skills and your time to make a meaningful difference in society, then this field is a good choice for you. As a professional in the field of health, wellness and social care, your aim will be to bring about positive social change, strengthen communities, and contribute to healthier living and working environments.

Some of the specific jobs that exist in this field in South Africa include the following:

  • HIV/AIDS Counsellor
    As an HIV/AIDS counsellor, you will help manage the response to HIV/AIDS within communities, provide the public with important information relating to HIV/AIDS, and provide support to those who have been infected (or affected) by HIV/AIDS.
  • Social Worker
    As a social worker, you will be responsible for tasks such as assessing clients (and their situations) providing counselling, providing information regarding appropriate support systems that are available, dealing with certain legal issues, maintaining case files, and compiling reports.
    Depending on the type of work that you do, you might also be involved in doing research, drafting policies, and making recommendations.
  • Youth Leader
    As a youth leader, you will focus on working with young people in society. You might be involved in activities such as managing community youth projects, running educational activities, assessing the needs of the youth in particular areas, and providing the youth with information on topics such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and other relevant topics.
  • Community Development Professional
    As a community development professional, you will aim to engage and communicate with communities so that their issues are heard and brought forward so that improvements can take place.

Other career options in this field include:

  • Working as a carer or counsellor in a government facility or non-profit organisation
  • Working as an administrative assistant or manager in a relevant government department (such as the Department of Social Development)
  • Working as a researcher in the field of health, wellness and social care

If you’re interested in a career in health, wellness and social care, and you want to find out more about preparing for a career in this field, you can click on the button below:

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