Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, successful completion of the outreach phase of your school is REQUIRED for all DTSes.

Our main hub property has free wifi for you to use. If you want to access the internet during your time here, you will have to bring your own laptop or device to connect with.

Our local train station is directly across from our YWAM Perth centre! From here you are in the centre of the city or at the beach after a short ride. It’s also only a quick walk from our main hub to the riverfront, sports facilities, city centre, shopping facilities, fast food and cafés. We love being a missions centre in the heart of the city!

Yes, we welcome families! We believe that families, and not just individuals, have a calling in missions to serve together as a family. Please let us know if you are planning on bringing your family. Please also note that school-aged children will need to be enrolled in schooling as a condition of your visa. More information regarding costs, accommodation and education for children can be provided by the Registrar.

We value community by sharing sit-down meals for our staff and students (lunch and dinner on weekdays, dinner on weekends) prepared by our kitchen ministry and enjoyed together like a big family. We have limited staff accommodation available to rent. You will receive more information regarding this in your staff application and acceptance process. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about availability and eligibility, please email us.

Students stay a short walk from our main hub property in shared accommodation with other students. Living in community is a great way to meet people from diverse backgrounds, and it’s lots of fun! We value community by sharing sit-down meals (lunch and dinner on weekdays, dinner on weekends) prepared by our kitchen ministry and enjoyed together like a big family. The kitchen will supply some basic breakfast staples to stock your dormitory.

Life and missions will always have their risks, but we do thorough, prayerful research and risk assessment before heading anywhere on outreach. We are mindful of travel advisories and ensure we have appropriate insurance in place, as well as local contacts and contingency plans. We work hard to train our outreach leaders and have local and Perth-based support in place for them. There are no guarantees in life of course, and reaching those who need Jesus won’t always be easy. In doing that, we want to both stretch our comfort zones and exercise wisdom.

We are not running our Friday night public meeting at present. We haven’t been doing this since everything closed down with COVID as we are still growing in strength since that time.

If you are from overseas, you will need Australian health insurance and an applicable visa to study with us. Our Registrar will guide you through this process and make sure you have all the details you need. Besides your ticket or transport here, there are a few other incidental costs that are all outlined in the information you’ll receive when you inquire.

In previous years we ran a Mission Builders opportunity where people could volunteer and experience being in missions for anywhere between 3 weeks to 2 months. Unfortunately, we are not currently accepting any Mission Builders.

No, pets will need to stay home.

Yes, we welcome families! We believe that families, and not just individuals, have a calling in missions to serve together as a family. Please let us know if you are planning on bringing your family. Please also note that school-aged children may need to be enrolled in schooling as a condition of your visa. More information regarding costs, accommodation and education for children can be provided by the Registrar.

We would need to know what visa you currently hold in order to know your visa conditions and see if you would be required to apply for a new one. Please inform the Registrar that you are already in Australia and forward a copy of your visa so we can check your status.

Yes, certainly! Just chat with your school leader about when would work best. If your guests are hoping to stay for a few days, you can email hospitality@ywamperth.org.au to see if any of our guest accommodation is available.

Yes, you’re welcome to visit! Just contact our Registrar at info@ywamperth.org.au and you can arrange a time to join us for a meal or a tour or a chat.

Joining staff is considered a full-time commitment. Whether you can work part-time depends on several factors. Some visa types permit outside employment, while others do not. Any work outside of your staff role must also be scheduled outside of normal ministry hours, and you'll need to consider how it may affect your commitment to your ministry responsibilities and life on base. In short, part-time work may be possible, but it would need to be discussed and approved in conversation with your ministry leader.

An FTS is a full-time training program and is designed for wholistic learning which happens through all kinds of activities (see our FTS page for more info) so the schedule doesn’t work well alongside a job. Most FTS students will take leave from their jobs if they’re employed before coming.

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Additionally, if you are an international student most of the visas used to do a FTS do not allow you to work in Australia.

DTS is a full-time training program and is designed for wholistic learning which happens through all kinds of activities (see our DTS page for more info) so the schedule doesn’t work well alongside a job. Most DTS students will take leave from their jobs if they’re employed before coming.

You can pay by credit card through our secure page on our website https://secure.ywamperth.org.au/payments/. We accept Mastercard or Visa only.

Please be aware that there is a bank fee for all credit card payments (approximately 2%).

We are a volunteer-based mission, where our staff and students trust God for what we need and we invite others from our churches and friends to join us in missions partnership. We endeavour to keep our training costs as accessible as possible.

We honour the faithfulness, contribution and sacrifice of families who serve in full-time ministry with YWAM around the world. Young people who have grown up in families serving with YWAM long-term may be eligible to apply for a discount on the cost of their DTS. Please enquire for further details and eligibility.

A memorial fund has been set up to help with the cost of focused training in health care for those with a long-term call to use health care in missions. Please enquire for further details and eligibility. Missionaries, particularly those from developing nations, with a specific long-term ministry vision may be eligible to apply for a discount for relevant focused training. Please be aware, we only process eligibility for a scholarship after someone has been accepted to a school and has been granted a visa. Please enquire for further details and eligibility.

We understand that doing training with YWAM can be a big step of faith for many people, and we’d love to support you in that journey. Please ask your school or ministry leader if you would like further information or coaching regarding support raising. Your school or ministry leaders would love to pray for you and answer any questions you have along the way.

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If you are not from Australia, you will need to apply for an appropriate visa. Details regarding your visa will be communicated upon your acceptance to the school. Please do not apply for a visa until you have received your acceptance letter and instructions to do so.

Yes, all international students and staff will be required to have specific health insurance.

For all student visas, the Australian government requires that you have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) before you can be granted a student visa. Upon acceptance our registrar will communicate the price to you and will organise your OSHC enrolment.

For other visas, the Registrar will provide further information upon acceptance, as minimal health care requirements apply and you will be responsible for arranging your own health insurance. Please do not make your own arrangements until you have heard from the Registrar’s office.

For more information about health insurance please contact the Registrar at info@ywamperth.org.au.

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Yes, a University of the Nations recognised DTS is a preliminary requirement before you can do other Focused Training or join volunteer staff with YWAM.

Yes, a University of the Nations recognised DTS is a preliminary requirement before you can join volunteer staff with YWAM.

Yes. We would love to assist you as you step into all God is calling you to. Once you apply, your school or ministry leader can send you resources to get you started, answer any questions you may have and pray for you.

You can apply online here or email us at info@ywamperth.org.au, and we will send you information regarding the school you are interested in.

You can apply online here or email us at info@ywamperth.org.au, and we will send you information regarding the school you are interested in.

You can apply online here or email us at info@ywamperth.org.au, and we will send you information regarding the school you are interested in.

The registration fee is paid with credit card as part of the registration process of our online applications.

If you have difficulties with the credit card payment please contact the Registrar at info@ywamperth.org.au or see

Some people pick a DTS based on when it starts (our DTSes start at the beginning of January, April, July and October) and others choose based on the specific focus of a DTS. We’re confident God has the right fit for you, and we’d love to talk more if you’ve got questions.

Fees for the lecture phase depend on which school you choose. This includes a non-refundable registration fee, tuition, accommodation, books, wireless internet access and most meals.

Please note that visa and health insurance costs are not included and vary according to the student.

Fees for the outreach phase range depending on location.

For more information, please contact our Registrar at info@ywamperth.org.au.

Most courses accredited with the Australian government are Austudy approved.

Please check to see if the course for which you want to apply is accredited and Austudy approved before making an application to Centrelink.

You can refer to the Centrelink website for more information on applying for Austudy.

Required documents for Austudy applications will be provided upon acceptance.

Please note that we are unable to process any International cheques, International Money orders or cheques in Australian Dollars.

Acceptable methods of payment are Credit card (Mastercard or Visa), Bank Transfer,  or Money Transfer.

As YWAM, we believe God wants to use every Christian to make a difference in the world! It could be in a ministry role, like a cross-cultural missionary or pastor, or as a faithful member of a local church who’s a light in their community and workplace. A DTS can help you build a solid foundation of deepened relationship with God, walking in His ways, hearing His voice and carrying His heart for those who don’t yet know Him. This can prepare you for any path God has ahead – whether you have a clear idea of what that will be, or whether you’re still exploring what He’s calling you to.

Every DTS has the same core content, and the same discipleship and missions framework. From there, each DTS will have its own flavour or focus for ministry.

Don’t worry too much if you don’t see a specific type of DTS listed, our focused DTSes are still broad enough for lots of different kinds of interests.

If you’re not sure whether or not a certain DTS is the right fit for you, just get in touch with us, we’d love to chat.

Most Focused Training Schools include an outreach as part of the school. You can check the school’s page for more information. Outreaches are highly recommended, not only as a hands-on extension of your learning, but as an opportunity to meaningfully touch people’s lives through all God has been equipping you with.

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There is no age limit as such, DTS students just need to be old enough to have completed secondary school or high school and further parental permissions are needed if you’re under 18. The one school we run for a specific age group is the Young People’s DTS which is designed for 18-25 year olds.

Sorry, not right now. To complete your DTS here in Perth you need to be confident in listening to, reading, writing and speaking English to participate in our training. Please note that for some nationalities the visa process will require proof of your English Proficiency.

You are responsible for transfer fees, which will vary depending on your bank. Please contact your bank for details. We can send you a bank transfer form on request. Please take into account the time needed for processing.

We’re confident God can direct each person step-by-step as to what’s best for their own calling. Some people find doing a DTS before they go to university (or other post-high school qualifications) helpful as it can prepare you with a strong foundation of faith, a clearer sense of direction, and a greater confidence in sharing your faith. Others have put their studies on pause and done a DTS part way through their higher education. Others have done a DTS after they’ve finished university or other training and found it’s clarified how they will use their qualifications for God’s purposes. There's no right or wrong way to do it!

Each weekday you will have lectures and work duties, (helping practically around the YWAM centre) plus worship or prayer. There are also weekly small groups, one-on-one catch-ups with one of your staff and time reaching out in the city to share the love of Jesus. Some DTSes also have workshop times. Weekends may have some school activities but will generally be free for you to rest, explore the city and have some study time. Learn more about DTS activities.

We have an amazing kitchen team who prepare all our meals. They do their best to cater for those with food allergies and intolerances. So, we typically have diary and gluten free options at meal times. If you have a more specific dietary requirement, please let us know.

Considering our international missions work, we encourage all students to come with the appropriate updates on immunisations. These are the following:

• Polio
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis (Whooping cough)

These updates are required every 10 years, if you are unsure of your last immunisation, check with your doctor. For your own safety please ensure that you are up to date with these before coming to the lecture phase of your school so that you will be prepared in advance for your field assignment.

For overseas field assignments we recommend that all staff and students receive further vaccines, these are the following:

• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B

We encourage you to have these immunisations before joining us as vaccines are expensive and foreign students/staff pay more once they are in Australia. We may also be encouraging students and staff to take medicine to help prevent malaria and to use mosquito nets during the field assignment – this depends on the location of your field assignment. If you would prefer, you can bring malaria medication with you from home or we can purchase this for you here.

DTS is a six-month entry level course to Youth With A Mission focused on knowing God and making Him known. Three months of lectures in Perth focus on learning about who God is and what it means to follow Him. This is followed by three months with a team from your school, serving practically and sharing God's love overseas, and in some cases, here in Australia as well.

Perth is a beautiful city in Western Australia with a population of around 2.4 million people. The YWAM hub is just a short train or bus ride (within a free transit zone), or walk from the city centre. Beaches and the Swan River are also easy to get to from our main property. The climate in the winter (June-September) can be rainy, windy and cold with temperatures ranging from 5-20°C. In the summer (November-February) it is hot and dry with temperatures ranging from 25-45°C.

Staff typically start by committing for at least 2 years. We find that 2 years is roughly how long it would take to properly assimilate to our base, your ministry role and the city. This is a good amount of time to then discern if this is where God could be leading you to serve longer.

DTS goes beyond learning information about God. DTS is about applying what we’re learning in real-time – we call that a “live-learn” approach. It’s more than just lectures, it’s growing through living in a multicultural, missions-focused intentional community (yeah that’s a kinda long description!). You’ll get individual mentoring, small group processing time, plus lots of opportunities to grow as you serve practically, encounter God through prayer and worship and gain confidence in sharing His love with others. There’s also lots of fun and friendship mixed in with all that. You’ll keep learning and being stretched as you head out on outreach with your team to bring His hope to those in need.

We want to help you get where God is leading you! God can use DTS to get you ready to make a difference anywhere in the world – in your hometown, in a remote people group, or anywhere in between. Specifically within YWAM, DTS opens opportunities for ministry and more specialised training here in Perth and around the world! Explore ywam.org for more opportunities within YWAM internationally. Or check out opportunities to continue to serve in missions or get further training here in YWAM Perth.

Clothing

‍Apart from casual wear, bring one set of formal clothes for meetings, church and formal events. Many outreach locations do require at least knee-length skirts for women and pants for men. Unless you want your casual clothes turned into work clothes, we strongly suggest you bring a set of clothes that can get dirty. There is a wide variety of jobs to tackle, and some can get messy. For recreation clothes, we suggest you bring shorts and runners (sneakers). With bathing suits, please be sensitive to our cross-cultural context and bring one-piece bathing suits for women and swim shorts for men. For shoes, you'll want a pair of casual shoes and dress shoes.During winter it can get cold (June – September), so bring jeans, jumpers (sweaters) and a jacket. Remember, outreaches may be in another climate, so come prepared for different types of weather.Please note: We have an international student body and as such need to consider a larger audience of cultures in our dress (what is OK in your culture might cause offence to someone from another).

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Bedding

‍You will have a bed (most often a bunkbed) during the lecture phase, but you will need your own bedding (pillows, sheets, blankets, duvet/quilt, etc.) as none will be provided. A fitted sheet is required for all students. Please bring this with you unless you prefer to buy it when you get to Perth. There will be times on outreach where you may not have a bed and will be sleeping on the ground; you may therefore want to bring a sleeping bag and suitable air mattress/mat/Therma-rest with you, though these can also be readily purchased in Perth.

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Personal Items

With regard to personal items, please bring whatever articles of clothing you need, limiting it to one large hiking backpack or suitcase. You will have some space under your bed, 2 or 3 shelves in a cupboard and a small amount of wardrobe space. Our storage is limited, meaning you will need to be able to carry everything with you during the outreach phase. There is no storage space provided on campus for your things while you are on outreach.

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Cars

If you are planning on bringing a car please let us know. Please be advised that due to local parking restrictions there is no personal parking available on campus. Wherever you chose to park your car, you do so at your own expense. We aim to have all of our accommodation located within walking distance from the YWAM property. Public transportation is easily accessible and can take you throughout the city.

Your lecture phase fees are due to be paid before or on Registration Day (the first week of the lecture phase).

Details regarding fees for outreach will be communicated by your school leader during the lecture phase.

Your outreach phase fees will be due during week 10 of your lectures, unless otherwise communicated by your school leader.

Generally, your school leaders will research and pray over options for outreach locations before the school starts, based on considerations like ministry opportunities, local contacts and ongoing partnerships. These locations will be communicated early in the school, or beforehand if already set. Some DTSes will have more than one option for you to pray about, and some will go as one team on outreach. Some teams will serve in multiple locations on outreach, and others may focus on one location for the whole three months. We have a significant focus on Asia, Africa and Australia, but we can send teams anywhere in the world.

Generally, your school leaders will research and pray over options for outreach locations before the school starts, based on considerations like ministry opportunities, local contacts and ongoing partnerships. These locations will be communicated early in the school, or beforehand if already set. Some teams will serve in multiple locations on outreach, and others may focus on one location for the whole three months. We have a significant focus on Asia, Africa and Australia, but we can send teams anywhere in the world.

We are an urban “walking campus,” so you’ll stay a short walk away from the main YWAM hub in shared accommodation with other students. Classes, meals and other events take place at our central facility. Our main property includes an in-house café, lounge spaces, library, wifi and more.

Our DTS leaders and staff are full-time volunteer staff serving with Youth With A Mission Perth. DTS leaders have generally staffed previous DTSes and have demonstrated both character and leadership capability. Staff and leaders have all done their own DTSes and received leadership training. Over the course of the schools, they’ll continue to receive ongoing leadership development, input and mentoring from our training team.

Our school leaders and staff are full-time volunteer staff serving with Youth With A Mission Perth. School leaders have generally staffed previous schools and have demonstrated both character and leadership capability. Staff and leaders have all done their own schools and received leadership training. Over the course of the schools, they’ll continue to receive ongoing leadership development, input and mentoring from our training team.

DTS is for those hungry to know God more, who want to grow in their walk with Him and share His love with others. Whether you’ve been following Jesus for a long time, you’re still fresh to faith or you’re wrestling with the big questions, DTS can give you powerful space to meet with God.

One of our big values in YWAM is that we want to be people who “do first, then teach.” So the men and women who teach on our DTSes are people who live what they’re teaching. They’re practitioners, not just lecturers. You’ll likely hear from a lot of full-time missionaries, as well as people living missionally in their careers, pastors, or other faith leaders.

One of our big values in YWAM is that we want to be people who “do first, then teach.” So the men and women who teach on our schools are people who live what they’re teaching. They’re practitioners, not just lecturers. You’ll likely hear from a lot of full-time missionaries, as well as people living missionally in their careers, pastors, or other faith leaders.