Australian Community Workers Association Australian Community Workers Association

Course accreditation

Accreditation is a public declaration of quality – it demonstrates to students, competitors and employers that your course meets the expectations of the industry.

We operate from the principle that quality education and training produces skilled and professional community work practitioners.

ACWA accreditation is nationally recognised and indicates that your course meets the industry standard.

As greater numbers of employers, including government departments, take a risk management approach to recruitment, they are increasingly relying on third party endorsements for assurance that community service qualifications are sound. Short of making their own evaluations employers, and subsequently students, depend on a reputable and respected body to make an assessment upon which they can trust. This is the case in most professions, for example, engineering, accounting, medicine, dentistry, architecture and teaching; it is also the case in our sector.

Obtaining ACWA course accreditation adds an additional layer of quality not covered by regulatory body accreditation. What will set your course apart from others is not how it meets, but how it exceeds, the Australian Qualifications Training Framework (AQTF) packaging requirements.

As an additional benefit for students, graduates of an accredited course can immediately become registered members of ACWA, their professional association. This is often required by employers and when it is not, it provides graduates with a competitive edge.

ACWA accreditation focuses on: course content; course duration; fieldwork placements; teaching staff and student resources.

You can browse the list of ACWA accredited courses here.

 

Gaining accreditation

ACWA accredits diploma and higher education courses related to community services, including mental health, disability, youth work and other relevant streams.

Please note: ACWA has received an unprecedented number of applications. Processing times can vary; please ensure your application is decision-ready.

Once accreditation is granted, the course will be added to the public course finder on the ACWA website and providers may use the ACWA logo in their marketing material.

If you would like to gain accreditation but do not believe your course yet meets the standard, our assessment team is happy to work with you to achieve your goal.

Policies and templates

ACWA Course accreditation guidelines Jan 2023

Note: In response to COVID-19, ACWA introduced temporary flexible course delivery arrangements. These arrangements ended 30 June 2022.

ACWA-Course-accreditation-terms-and-conditions

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Fees

All fees are excluding GST.

Course accreditation application

Degree/postgraduate – $12,000
Diploma (Private providers) – $12,000
Diploma (TAFEs and NFP providers) – $6000

*Discounted rates are available for additional campuses and majors.

Annual course registration

Price: $2,500.00