Why volunteer at WIRE?
WIRE is a leading service delivery organisation with more than 37 years’ experience supporting women, nonbinary and gender diverse people across Victoria. It is the only Victorian state-wide free service that provides information, support and referrals to women, nonbinary and gender diverse people on any issue.
Here at WIRE we recognise inequities that occur due to gendered structures. One way in which we seek redress to these inequities is by having a volunteer group of women, gender diverse and non-binary people who operate WIRE’s telephone support line.
Selection process
If you are a woman, nonbinary or gender diverse person aged over 21 and volunteering on the support line is something you would like to do, you will need to:
- Fill an expression of interest, located below
- Attend one 2-hour information session
- Complete a group interview
Commitments
If you are selected to be part of the training program, you will need to commit to:
- 8 days group training (usually one Wednesday per week)
- 2x two-hour observation shifts on the Telephone Support Line
- 2x three-hour evaluated shifts on the Telephone Support Line
- 5x four-hour probationary shifts
- a one-hour mid-training interview
- a one-hour end of probation interview*
- and commit to one volunteer shift a fortnight over a minimum of 12 months.
What you can expect when volunteering with us:
“My WIRE training was a rewarding experience for challenging my thinking about people seeking help and it provided me with a strength- based training that I use now in my work as a community services worker.”
“Through doing the WIRE training I learned to not make assumptions about people and the value of giving them choices to empower them.”
“I have learned so much more about myself since undertaking the WIRE training and working in the phone room with such a wonderful team of people from all sorts of backgrounds.”
Costs
$178 — concession
$250 — full-time students
$340 — full price
The cost of this training covers training resources and wages for our trainers.
Scholarships
WIRE offers three scholarships for each intake to Support Worker training. Scholarships are available to the following groups:
First Nations women, nonbinary and gender diverse people
One free place is available in each training course for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander woman, nonbinary or gender diverse person.
Trans, nonbinary and gender diverse people
One free place is available in each training course for a trans, nonbinary or gender diverse person.
Women seeking asylum/newly arrived women or refugee women
One free place is available in each training course for a woman, nonbinary or gender diverse person who is seeking asylum, newly-arrived or a refugee. Women, nonbinary or gender diverse people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds with strong spoken English language skills are encouraged to apply.
Women, nonbinary and gender diverse people over 50
We created the Founding Mothers’ Scholarship in recognition of the inspirational work of the women who founded WIRE in 1984. One free place is available in each training course for a woman, nonbinary or gender diverse person over 50 who is currently looking for work or wanting to return to work.
For more information on scholarships, please email our Education and Training Coordinators Julie Harper & Vanessa Stathopoulos at training@wire.org.au.
Police record checks
WIRE is required by the DFFH to undertake a National Police Record Check on all trainees. If you have lived outside of Australia for more than 12 months in the last 10 years you will need to get an International Police Record Check at your own cost. Having a police record does not automatically mean that you can’t volunteer with us. You are welcome to discuss this with us when your are applying (training@wire.org.au).
Working with Children’s Check
You will also be required to get a Working With Children Check. This Check is free for volunteers and WIRE will provide you with information on how to get it.