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Real job outcomes for aged care students
After a vocational placement with one of Australia’s most innovative and leading aged care providers, four TAFE Queensland aged care students have secured work as personal care workers.
By TAFE Queensland
From the very first day of their placement at the Arcare St James aged care facility in Helensvale the TAFE Queensland students impressed both staff and residents. They put their newly acquired skills from the Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015) to work and gained valuable hands-on experience, participating in a variety of activities with the residents.
Their hard work and enthusiasm has paid off with all four students securing work in the aged care industry.
One of the lucky students is Crystal Wright. A stay-at-home mum prior to enrolling into the course, she gained a permanent role as a Personal Care Worker just three weeks from starting her casual contract at St James.
“I just love working at St James. It’s such a lovely place to work at and I’m really happy to have gained a job in such a short time after completing my vocational placement," Crystal said.
“Thanks to TAFE Queensland we learned how to support independence in the elderly, gained a range of technical skills, and developed a range of transferable skills — from communication to teamwork.
“This specialised course gave us the skills to facilitate the empowerment of older people, and provide support to those living with illnesses such as dementia.
"Our highly-experienced teachers provided one-on-one guidance, supported us every step of the way, and ensured we had the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in our new careers,” she said.
Fiona Hancock, Residence Manager at Arcare St James said it was a delight to have such an enthusiastic group of students attend the facility for placement.
“All the students were excited, confident and eager to put their skills into practice. They were not afraid to ask questions or seek direction from the team members,” Fiona said.
“They were supported by a TAFE Queensland facilitator who was great at talking to management on how they were progressing,” she said.
The health, aged care, and community services sector is predicted to experience strong growth over the next five years with an excess of 50,000 job openings expected. This is due to an increased demand for aged care support, support for people with a disability through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and other individualised home and community support.
The Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015) is a great starting point to gain the necessary skills needed to provide individualised support and care to people in home, community, or health care settings.