Employment in the AOD Sector

Many employment opportunities exist within the AOD field, and employers often have difficulty in recruiting suitably qualified and experienced workers.  Employers have reported that that mainstream newspaper advertisements often fail to attract the staff they are seeking due to geographical constraints and specialised skill requirements.

To overcome this issue, several organisations maintain websites advertising jobs for AOD workers.

The most comprehensive of these is the Of Substance Jobs Board. Of Substance is a free, triannual magazine that addresses alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues and problems in Australia today. It is an Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) initiative and is published with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Its targeted readership and promotions means advertisements will be read by people already working in, or connected to, the AOD sector. Of Substance has an estimated readership of 35,000 people which includes frontline workers in the AOD field, as well as health professionals, social workers, educators, researchers, law enforcers, and policy makers.

Other organisations advertising AOD jobs online include:

• The New South Wales Network of Alcohol and Drug Agencies (NADA) which advertises AOD job vacancies in NSW.
• The Western Australian Network of Alcohol and Drug Agencies (WANADA) which advertises AOD job vacancies in WA.

Some organisations advertise community services jobs (including AOD positions) online:

• The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) advertises vacancies in the Community Services sector across Australia
• The New South Wales Council of Social Services (NCOSS) advertises vacancies in the Community Services sector in NSW
• The Queensland Council of Social Services (QCOSS) advertises vacancies in the Community Services sector in QLD.