Commencement Date: Term 1, 2026 - 24 January 2026
Employment Type: Term Time, Permanent - 38 hours per week (work school terms only)
Salary Range: SOF Level 5 - $39.44 to $41.36 Gross per hour (pending experience)
Closing Date for Applications: 5:00pm, Thursday 27 November 2025 (unless filled prior)
Please note applications for this role may be reviewed and interviews conducted as received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in this opportunity.
The College is an initiative of the Diocese of Cairns and Catholic Education Services and offers individualised and adaptable multiyear secondary education programs for young people disengaged from mainstream schooling. The College is a registered Special Assistance School that is co-educational and currently has an enrolment capacity of 40 young people in Cooktown, 60 in Manoora and 90 in Edmonton. The Cooktown campus is the main college campus with associate campuses situated in Cairns suburbs. The Cooktown campus includes 2 sixteen bed residential units while the Cairns campuses are both day-only facilities.
The college provides a variety of innovative teaching and learning practices that acknowledges young people’s complex education and social needs and empowers them to identify and pursue individual transition to adulthood, further education, employment and importantly a connection to the community. Staff at Holy Spirit College are multi-disciplinary in response to the diverse needs of young people and their families.
Young people who attend include Indigenous and non-indigenous young people who are disengaged from mainstream education for a range of reasons and include those:
At present the enrolment of young people in the Cooktown boarding residences is one hundred percent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women and men in age from 12 to 17 years.
Underpinning all the work of the College are three operating principles of right Relationships, Respect and Responsibility.
The role of the Youth Worker is to support, design and develop engagement, wellbeing and social inclusion responses and program activities that directly enhance the engagement of the young people that attend. All program activities are to complement the educational programs and support the engagement of young people’s learning whilst at the College. The incumbent will be required to demonstrate competencies involving the self-directed application of knowledge and skills to a range of tasks and roles. The skills may include developing frameworks for, and providing instruction to young people within a structured learning environment under the general supervision of academic staff members. The position involves working directly with children and young people on a daily basis and therefore must be able to demonstrate an understanding of appropriate behaviours when engaging with children. All young people are owed a duty of care while in the supervision of the position.
For further information about the role, please download the Position Description 
2025.11.13_ASOC Level 5 Youth Worker Position Description (Without Classification Factors).pdf
Select 'Apply Now' to submit your application.
For current employees, apply via the 'Employee Login' tab on the homepage of the Careers website.
Please note applications will only be accepted via the Careers website.
Fiona Connell
Head of Campus
P: 4082 1900
E: secretary.holyspirit@cns.catholic.edu.au
Intending applicants must be fully committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation.
To understand our commitment and initiatives to truth telling, healing and reconciliation view our Reconciliation Action Plan
Catholic Education is an equal opportunity employer.
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