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Become a cadet

Start your new career in community housing

Twelve months of paid work while you gain a nationally recognised qualification.

Each year, the CHIA NSW Cadetship Program gives 25 people the opportunity to earn and learn in the community housing industry.

After twelve months, cadets graduate with a Certificate IV in Housing and a year of experience working for a community housing provider.

What is the cadetship?

Click on the boxes below to access further information and resources about the Cadetship Program.

Watch

what past cadets say about their experience as a cadet.

Explore

a quick summary about what the cadetship offers.

Read

the training pack to see what you’ll be learning.

Apply

to start your professional journey in community housing.

How to become a cadet – key steps and dates

The Cadetship Program is limited to 25 cadets in 2027.

1

Apply online

by Friday 2 October 2026

APPLY NOW
2

Send us your resume

by Tuesday 6 October 2026

Get resume help here.

EMAIL YOUR RESUME
3

Online interview

by Friday 9 October 2026

We will contact you to arrange an online Microsoft Teams interview.

4

Applicants matched with housing providers

October 2026

We send suitable applications to housing providers in each region.

5

Face-to-face interviews

November-December 2026

Each housing provider interviews selected applicants in their region.

6

Background checks and employment offers

January 2027

Each housing provider conducts background checks and offers employment to a chosen applicant in their region.

7

Employment starts

15 February 2027

Each cadet starts full-time work with a housing provider on 15 February 2027 and finishes in February 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can apply if you:

  • live in NSW, and
  • are aged 20 or older, and
  • can study at Certificate IV level, can work full-time, and want to work in community housing.

We prioritise people who belong to one of these groups:

  • unemployed young people aged 20-24 years
  • people who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
  • people living with disability
  • refugees and migrants
  • people aged 25+ who are social housing clients (tenants, those on the waitlist, those living in crisis/supported accommodation) and those receiving rent assistance.

The Cadetship Program aims to provide training and pathways into employment for people experiencing barriers to secure employment.

  • People with full-time or permanent work are welcome to apply, but are less likely to be selected.
  • People in casual work and unemployed people are more likely to be selected.

25 cadets will be selected each year. CHIA aims to select cadets from each of the priority eligibility groups. We also aim for cadets from all over NSW.

If you apply for the 2027 cadetship and are unsuccessful, you may apply in a following year.

Each employer has a different policy about criminal records. They all do a criminal history check (a police check). It is essential that you tell CHIA NSW about your record when you first apply. CHIA NSW will match you with an employer that is understanding about criminal records.

Several people with criminal records have successfully completed the cadetship and now have a career in community housing.

No.

The cadetship is full time, Monday to Friday for 12 months. Each housing provider sets their own hours, e.g., 8.30am-4.30pm, or 9am-5pm.

No. The cadetship is full time, Monday to Friday, for 12 months, starting in February 2027.

Some employers will allow limited work from home, eg. one day per week. Other employers do not allow any working from home.

You must also attend the face-to-face training in Sydney:

  • one full week in March 2027
  • one full week in July 2027 or August 2027
  • one full week in February 2028.

If you need to work from home a lot, you probably won’t be able to meet the requirements of the cadetship.

Each housing provider sets the cadet pay according to their own policies. The minimum wage for cadets is SCHADS Award Level 1 Pay Point 1, which is approximately $54,000 per year as of July 2026. You should check the exact pay with the employer during the interview stage.

All training takes place in paid work time, Monday to Friday during the day.

Training is blended – a mix of online and face-to-face.

For online training you log in from work. Online training is in blocks of 2-3 consecutive days spread throughout the 12 months.

Face-to-face training happens in compulsory week-long blocks in Sydney:

  • one full week in March 2027
  • one full week in July 2027 or August 2027
  • one full week in February 2028.

Accommodation, travel and meal allowances are paid by CHIA NSW for cadets who live outside Sydney.

Paid employment in the cadetship is for 12 months. There is no guarantee of ongoing employment after the cadetship is over.

A goal of the cadetship is to help people get ongoing employment, with a housing provider, or elsewhere. So, CHIA NSW helps cadets with resume and job interview skills.

Graduating cadets typically apply for ongoing work with the same employer (the housing provider), with other housing providers, and elsewhere.

In previous years, approximately three-quarters of all cadets who finish the cadetship get ongoing work, mainly with community housing providers.

Dedicated mentors, trainers and workplace coordinators provide support in the workplace and throughout the training. Trainers work one-on-one with cadets who require extra assistance to ensure they understand the concepts and knowledge required.

CHIA NSW strives to create a culturally safe learning environment. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cadets will have access to support through our First Nations support program, and we provide cultural safety training for all cadets and mentors.

We can transfer the core units of another Certificate IV to the CHC42221 Certificate IV in Housing if the units are the same or related. We cannot transfer units that are unrelated e.g., a Certificate III in Child Care.

CHIA NSW will keep your personal information confidential. Generally, we won’t share it outside our organisation, except:

  • If we are required to by law;
  • If your application progresses past the Teams interview, we will pass on your application to community housing providers in your area. You can tell us to exclude particular housing providers, if you don’t want your information shared with them.

If your application is unsuccessful, CHIA NSW will delete your personal information after 6 months.

About the community housing industry

To find out more about the community housing industry in NSW, click here.

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Together with the NSW Government, Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) NSW is providing training and jobs in the Community Housing Industry through our Cadetship Program. Cadets study the Certificate IV in Housing and have 12 months paid employment with a Community Housing Provider.

Contact our Cadetship team

Contact us