A handful of students from our Warragul campus got to share their study stories with Victorian Senator Jess Walsh yesterday, reflecting on the opportunities that the state and federal governments’ Free TAFE programs have offered them.
Pictured above: Sigrid Tucker (Program Manager) Mei Lui, Brooke Wilson, Sneha Babu, Sarah Mullins (Teacher), Senator Jess Walsh, Rebecca Lee (Teacher)
The student cohorts took Senator Walsh on a tour of their respective training spaces, filling her in on how access to Free TAFE has helped them further their studies and explore their potential in the healthcare and early childhood sectors.
TAFE Gippsland Acting CEO Jeff Pentney said it was an uplifting visit for all involved.
“It was great hearing the students speak to Senator Walsh about how fee free TAFE has helped them break into their industry of interest and look forward to pursuing successful careers in nursing and early childhood education,” Jeff said.
“One of our nursing students, Emily, shared a personal story about her dream of doing nursing for eight years. As a mother, she was struggling to find the time and finances to be able to study, but her dream has been realised with Free TAFE. She’s also been able to balance study with caring for her children with the flexible hours available through TAFE.
“Another nursing student, Rachel, spoke about how grateful she is to be able work in the healthcare sector. As the primary income earner for her family, she’s very much looking forward to being able to give back in this space.
“It was a really positive visit for everyone involved.”
Pictured above: Emily Kemp, Senator Jess Walsh and Rachel Dickerson
TAFE Gippsland’s Director of Educational Delivery Linda Austin and Board Chair Paul Buckley also met with Senator Walsh, focusing on the supply chain for new energy projects in the region.
“As our energy sector transitions from fossil-fuel manufacturing to renewables and sustainability, we’re working closely with industry to ensure our training options meet the needs of the emerging renewables sector,” Mr Pentney said.
“TAFE Gippsland is at the forefront of adapting training to suit the needs of industry.
We have also invested considerably in our infrastructure in recent years, to ensure state-of-the-art learning environments for our students and staff.”