Supporting children in new ways: Amanda’s outside school hours care (OSHC) career

In her 13 years working with children and young people, Amanda Bower has done it all.

“I’m one of those people in the industry who have dipped their toes into a bit of everything,” she says.

Amanda started her career by doing a Certificate III in Children’s Services. She then went on to work in an early learning centre as a kindergarten assistant before transitioning into outside school hours care (OSHC).

“As I gained more experience in the industry, I realised that I’d eventually need to study further if I wanted to progress,” she recalls.

Today, Amanda is a learning and instructional designer. Her job involves creating eLearning and face-to-face packages, supporting mentorship programs, and checking the quality of products.

Amanda is focused on supporting those who work directly with the children, so her work still has a significant impact on them. She also has a strong interest in workplace health and safety.

“Childhood is completely different to what it was even 10 years ago,” she says. “So, how do we adapt to that? How do we create strategies and support systems to help young people be their best selves?”

Her work allows her to shape future generations and pays forward the support she received in her youth.

“I was one of those young kids who needed a bit of guidance,” Amanda reflects. “I want to do the same, and offer the kind of support that I received back then.”

“A common misconception is that the industry only offers care-based work, and while that is one part of it, there is a range of other opportunities,” Amanda says.

“You’ve got the operations management side, the health and safety side, and the learning and development side, to name a few. All of that coming out of one sector is pretty amazing.”

Her passion has always been working closely with kids – watching them grow, develop and form personalities of their own.

“My favourite days are always the last day of term,” she says. “Seeing grade 6 kids celebrating after their hard work throughout the year is really heartwarming, especially when I have known some of them since they started prep!”

To anyone considering joining the industry, Amanda’s advice is to explore all avenues and simply have fun with it.

“This job is unlike any other you’ll try. It’s very rewarding, you create such a diverse skill set, and most importantly, you have a massive impact on so many different communities. It’s also just heaps of fun!”