Taking a Certificate II in General Education for Adults at TAFE in 2019 led to exciting new study and career opportunities for an Albany mother.
After 10 years as a stay-at-home mother and working in casual and part-time jobs, Caroline Plant felt the time was right to carve a career for herself – and she wisely chose to start at TAFE.
She knew she would better tackle the challenges of her training if she took a course to hone her literacy and numeracy skills first, so she enrolled in the adult education course.
“I decided I’d been so long out of high school, I needed to brush up on my general education,” she said.
Caroline was impressed with the level of encouragement and support from her lecturers, who each taught her in their specialised areas of reading, English, computing and maths.
“Right from the start, the teachers were excellent,” she said.
“They were very reassuring, exceptionally patient and kind, and did whatever they could to help.”
Being treated as an adult in the classroom was refreshing for Caroline, who said this was the main reason her learning was enjoyable and gave her confidence to go on to further study.
“It was so different to my high school experience,” she said.
Now, she is thrilled to be nominated for a South Regional TAFE outstanding achievement award and she is considering her options for other areas of study.
With a passion for outdoor work, she is leaning towards either horticulture or conservation and land management, but she is also researching her options in the areas of allied health, dental assisting and business.
As for the future, she plans to take higher-level qualifications in her chosen area and will even consider university, a situation she believes has been made possible by her solid start to study at TAFE.
Caroline (centre) is pictured with CGEA Lecturers Christina Penn and Lucy Wellstead.