Careers in Funeral Services

Funeral Attendant

• Crematoria Operator
• Embalmer
• Funeral Director
• Funeral Director’s Assistant
• Gravedigger
• Mortuary Assistant

Funeral Attendant

Funeral attendants assist in preparation for funerals, the transportation and placement of coffins, conducting funeral ceremonies and the maintenance of funeral premises. Funeral attendants are often required to work after hours and on weekends.
Funeral attendants may perform the following tasks:

• Collect the body from the hospital, morgue or place of death and drive passenger vehicles, mortuary vans and hearses 
• Assist in preparing the body and placing it in the coffin 
• Escort mourners to funeral chapels 
• Arrange burial equipment such as mats and lowering straps 
• Arrange floral tributes and distribute and collect attendance and tribute cards 
• Clean parlours, chapels and hearses 
• Assist as coffin or casket bearers.

Funeral Director

Funeral directors may perform the following tasks: 

• Coordinate and supervise funeral workers including embalmers, drivers, receptionists or clerical assistants 
• Interview relatives to discuss style of funeral, coffin/casket, cars, flowers and costs
• Make arrangements for interment/cremation or repatriation after checking that all proper documentation has been completed 
• Conduct the funeral 
• Arrange the construction of a monument or the disposal of cremated ashes 
• Generally assist and support family through ceremonies and other aspects of the funeral process 
• Arrange newspaper notices (and in some cases radio announcements) notifying the death and detailing the funeral arrangements.

Gravedigger

Gravediggers perform a range of tasks involved in the burial of bodies.

Gravediggers may perform the following tasks:

• Use a range of tools such as hand tools, power tool and small plant equipment to dig graves and maintain cemetery grounds 
• Work with funeral directors in providing assistance to customers
• Perform grave probes and prepare land for gravedigging to ensure the land is appropriate and stable
• Repair damaged and collapsed graves
• Re-open graves and perform exhumations
• Oversee burial and monument works
• Carry out pest and disease control
• Measure and mark out grave spaces 

Even though the gravedigger has less personal contact with clients than the funeral arranger or embalmer he or she must be sensitive to the bereavement of others when dealing with death.

Mortuary Assistant

Mortuary assistants work in funeral homes and support the work of embalmers and funeral directors. They maintain equipment and ensure appropriate sterilisation is followed. They handle and store chemicals and other hazardous equipment. They also assist the embalmers in preparing bodies for viewings and burials. This includes cleaning bodies, minor cosmetic and reconstruction work, and placing the bodies in coffins.

Embalmer

Embalmers work in mortuaries to preserve and prepare bodies for viewing, burial or cremation. They use a range of chemicals and substances to clean the body and preserve the tissue. They may also reconstruct or reshape damaged and disfigured bodies using materials such as cotton wool, clay and wax. Embalmers may also dress bodies, apply make-up, and put the bodies in the casket.

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What training do you need?

Employees in the funeral industry need a mature and responsible attitude, given the sensitive situations they deal with. They are generally working with clients who are emotionally vulnerable, so they need excellent communication skills and an understanding of how people deal with grief. Physical strength to lift coffins, a good driving record and a well groomed appearance are also prerequisites. It is not essential to have formal qualifications in order to work within the industry, however formal training can help build your skills and your career options.  There are a number of nationally recognised qualifications available within the industry:

Certificate II in Funeral Operations provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in assisting funeral directors to conduct funerals or to undertake mortuary assistant duties, depending on the qualification stream chosen.This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Certificate III in Cemetery and Crematorium Operations provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of roles in a cemetery or crematorium depending on the specialist stream and elective options chosen. This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Certificate III in Gravedigging, Grounds and Maintenance provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of cemetery operations requiring specialised practical skills and knowledge in either gravedigging or grounds and maintenance activities. This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Certificate III in Funeral Operations provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of funeral operations or mortuary work roles depending on the specialist stream and elective options chosen. This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Certificate IV in Funeral Services provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of funeral services activities and functions requiring funeral services industry management knowledge and skills. This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Certificate IV in Embalming  provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of embalming activities requiring a strong theoretical knowledge base and practical procedures. This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Diploma of Mortuary Management provides the skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of management activities requiring planning, implementing and monitoring mortuary practices and procedures. This qualification is not suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

More information

The Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) provides information on the code of ethics, scholarships, endorsed training and much more. More information can be found at: www.afda.org.au