If you love helping people, a career in human services may be right for you. Rewarding and enriching, these jobs let you live your values and make a difference for individuals and society as you earn your living.
And demand is high. You could be helping New Brunswick’s seniors, children, families, and people with disabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of these essential front-line workers.
The Department of Social Development and our many service partners are recruiting social workers, personal support workers, human services counsellors, resident attendants and more. These caring professionals help New Brunswickers of all ages, throughout the whole province and in a variety of settings, have better, healthier lives.
Whether you’re an experienced professional planning your next career move, a recent graduate seeking your first role, or a student who’s interested in the opportunities that await you when you’re done school, we’ve got all the details here on helping careers in human services.
High-Demand Human Services Roles
Social Workers
Social workers help individuals, families and groups develop the skills and resources to have better lives. They also provide counselling, therapy and referral to other support services. Social workers also respond to social needs such as unemployment, racism and poverty. They work for hospitals, school boards, social service agencies, child welfare organizations, correctional facilities, community agencies, employee assistance programs and Aboriginal band councils, or in private practice.
Click here to watch a short video featuring New Brunswick social workers talking about what they do, what they love about their work, and why it might be the right fit for you.
“For me, a social worker is someone who likes to listen to other people’s stories and experiences and find ways to help them.” - Laura Peters, Social Worker
Education & Accreditation
To become a social worker, you need at least a Bachelor of Social Work. This four-year undergraduate program may be followed by postgraduate education at the master’s or doctoral level. In New Brunswick, St. Thomas University and the Université de Moncton have social work programs. More than 2,100 social workers in New Brunswick are represented by The New Brunswick Association of Social Workers (NBASW). Click here to visit their website.
Personal Support Workers, Human Services Counsellors and Resident Attendant Workers
Personal Support Workers (PSWs), Human Services Counsellors (HSCs) and Resident Attendants Workers (RAs) provide a high standard of care to New Brunswick’s children and families, people living with a disability and the ageing population.
These professionals work in nursing homes, adult residential facilities, group homes, community support agencies, or companies that provide in-home support. For more information, visit the Association of New Brunswick Human Services Counselors of New Brunswick website by clicking here.
These workers are the essential backbone of a successful social support system. They work in partnership with other professionals to deliver person-centred care, so people can actively participate in their community and live safely in their own home or a residential care setting. The services they provide may include:
- Care and companionship to individuals and families
- Bedside and personal care, such as aid in ambulation, bathing, personal hygiene, and dressing and undressing
- Planning and preparing meals and special diets, and assisting in feeding
- Housekeeping duties such as laundry, washing dishes and making beds.
Click here to watch a short video featuring New Brunswick personal support workers talking about what they do, what they love about their work, and why it might be the right fit for you.
Education and Certification
New Brunswick needs personal support workers and human services counsellors. The government is making it easier for people to enter these careers by covering 100% of eligible training costs of the eight-month college course. To find out more, visit the WorkingNB website by clicking here.
There is now voluntary occupational certification for Human Service Counsellors and Personal Support Workers. The certification recognizes the credentials, competencies, and work experience for these roles and their increasing professional status. To learn more, visit GetCertifiedNB.ca or call 1-855-453-2260 for details.
Home Support Workers
Home Support Workers provide personal care to clients that need help with cleaning and other home management duties. They work in peoples’ homes and the community to provide support to seniors and persons with a disability. For a list of all home care agencies in New Brunswick, visit the New Brunswick Home Support Association by clicking this link.
Education
Many home support positions don’t require formal education or a certificate and often provide on-the-job training to new employees. Workers sometimes need experience working in home care or residential settings like special care homes or group homes. Workers also need experience in providing personal care, preparing food and housekeeping.
Registered Nurses and Licensed Nurse Practitioners
Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed nurse practitioners (LPNs) play critical roles in delivering quality, timely health care. These caring professionals work collaboratively with doctors and other health care professionals to assess patients, create care plans, provide treatment, and monitor patient recovery and progress. RNs and LPNs work in various acute and community settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, community health centres, clinics, public health, and addiction and mental health services.
New Brunswick health authorities are actively recruiting RNs and LPNs, offering up to $10,000 in recruitment incentives. Click here for more information on the incentive. Click here to watch a short video featuring New Brunswick nurses talking about what they do, what they love about their work, and why it might be the right fit for you.
Did you know? Demand for registered nurses in New Brunswick is expected to grow 19% by 2024.
Education and Accreditation
A baccalaureate degree in nursing is required to enter nursing and initial registration as a Registered Nurse in New Brunswick. The University of New Brunswick and the Université de Moncton offer degrees in nursing at several sites across the province.
To see a list of current openings, visit the NBJobs website by clicking here.
For more information on nursing in New Brunswick, visit the Nurses Association of New Brunswick website by clicking here.
Apply now!
To see all available human services positions, visit the NBjobs website at nbjobs.ca, which compiles job postings from all other recruitment sites. Use keywords such as human services, social worker, personal support worker, home support worker to narrow your search.
For support with career decision-making, skills development and job searches, WorkingNB’s employment counsellors are ready to help. Visit their website by clicking here for more information.
