Careers and Training

Career as a Service Provider

Guide Dogs Victoria provides mobility training to adults and children with vision impairment. The following information explains what kind of qualifications and experience are generally required for staff within client services. Please note that completion of any of these courses does not guarantee a job with Guide Dogs Victoria. You should also be aware that educational and training requirements for other Guide Dog organisations in Australia and overseas may be different.

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Instructor

The majority of our client services staff are Orientation and Mobility Instructors. Some Instructors specialise in Guide Dog Mobility while others specialise in work with children or clients who have an acquired brain injury.

O&M Instructors equip clients to move through their environment as safely and independently as possible. This can involve teaching the client to use their residual vision to best effect, their other senses to compensate for vision loss, to interpret the environment effectively, and where necessary, to use a mobility aid. Programs may include road crossing safety, public transport use, long cane training, concept development and route travel skills.

Qualifications

Tertiary qualifications in Psychology or Education are preferred and a degree or post-graduate qualification specialising in Orientation and Mobility is a requirement. A Graduate Diploma in Orientation & Mobility is available through La Trobe University, Bundoora, as a joint venture between the university and Guide Dogs Victoria.

Personal requirements include a current drivers licence, sensitivity and responsiveness to client needs and excellent communication skills. You must also enjoy working with a cross section of the community including people of all ages and backgrounds.

Download the Graduate Diploma Orientation and Mobility Course Brochure.
Download Frequently Asked Questions about this course.

Guide Dog Trainer

There is no external training course for becoming a Guide Dog Trainer. Guide Dog Trainers at Guide Dogs Victoria are typically recruited from within the organisation. Staff Training is conducted internally by the Guide Dog Services Department and has a theoretical and practical component.

Trainees are educated and supervised by an experienced Guide Dog Instructor where they learn how to assess potential guide dogs for their suitability to commence Guide Dog training. Once the trainee demonstrates the required levels of competency and understanding through practical and theoretical assessment they will qualify with a Certificate in Early Training.

To go on and become a fully qualified Guide Dog Trainer, the trainee must be selected for further education and training in the Advanced Guide Dog Training cycle. When the trainee demonstrates the required levels of competency and understanding in Advanced Training, they will qualify as a Guide Dog Trainer.

Guide Dog Mobility Instructor

Approximately every 18 months to two years, Guide Dogs Victoria will advertise internally and externally for applicants who wish to become a Guide Dog Instructor by undertaking the internal Guide Dog Instructor Course. The successful applicant, (known as a Cadet Guide Dog Instructor) receives training that will allow them to become a Guide Dog Trainer and an Instructor to educate people with a vision impairment in the management and use of a Guide Dog as a means to independent mobility.

Introduction and Course Duration:

The course is an educational service provided by Guide Dogs Victoria. The majority of the subjects are conducted in and around the Guide Dogs Victoria campus, in the Melbourne suburb of Kew.

The Guide Dog Instructor Training Course will take a minimum of three years full-time study to complete for students who do not already have:

• a recognised Orientation & Mobility Instructor qualification (available at Latrobe University) or
• prior Guide Dog training/client instructional experience from a Guide Dog School with membership in the Federation of Guide Dog Schools.

Those students who already have a recognised Orientation & Mobility qualification, including at least a twelve-week internship as an Orientation & Mobility Instructor at an approved agency, may receive a credit for the external Orientation & Mobility requirement of the Guide Dog Instructor Course. This will reduce the course duration to a minimum of two years.
 

Children's Mobility Instructor

Children's Mobility Instructors work with primary, secondary and university students with a vision impairment to enhance their orientation and mobility skills. Programs may involve training in the use of residual vision, mobility aids, route travel skills, road safety and public transport skills.

Qualifications

Tertiary qualification in Psychology or Education is preferred, as well as a tertiary qualification in Orientation and Mobility. Relevant studies and experience will be considered.

Personal requirements include a current drivers licence, sensitivity and responsiveness to client needs and excellent communication skills. You must also enjoy working with a cross section of the community.

Acquired Brain Injury Mobility Instructors

Acquired Brain Injury Mobility Instructors provide assessment and training for individuals whose vision loss has been caused by a stroke or other acquired brain injury, helping them to optimise their use of remaining vision and other senses.

Qualifications

Formal qualifications in Orientation and Mobility and at least two years practical experience. Studies in Neurological Science is preferred but training can be provided on the job.

Personal requirements include a current drivers licence, sensitivity and responsiveness to client needs and excellent communication skills. You must also enjoy working with a cross section of the community including people of all ages and backgrounds.

 

Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapists assist people with a vision impairment to overcome challenges they may experience in daily living activities including personal care, work, education and leisure. Training may involve developing alternative methods of carrying out tasks or introducing equipment to complete a task safely.

Qualifications

A degree in Occupational Therapy from a recognised training institution.

Personal requirements include a current drivers licence, sensitivity and responsiveness to client needs and excellent communication skills. You must also enjoy working with a cross section of the community including people of all ages and backgrounds.