A self-confessed lover of all creatures great and small, TAFE NSW graduate Anita Westley describes working at Forbes Veterinary Clinic as a dream come true.

Thanks to lots of hard work and the skills she acquired studying at Australia’s largest training provider, TAFE NSW, Anita is now a fully-qualified veterinary nurse, and making a huge impression in the industry after winning the Forbes Business Chamber’s Tradie of the Year award earlier this year.

Forbes Veterinary Clinic veterinarian Vanessa Campbell said, “Anita has become an integral part of our veterinary team, going from strength-to-strength. She is a keen learner, easy to get along with, has taken on roles of teaching junior staff and demonstrates meticulous detail and care in all tasks that she takes on.”

“Anita shows confidence and capability when working with our patients and has an outstanding ability to create a great rapport with our clients. This is demonstrated by the fact she won the Tradie of the Year Award – which is voted on by the community and demonstrates how highly regarded she is.”

Anita’s journey to becoming a veterinary nurse began in 2016, when she enrolled at TAFE NSW Orange as a TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) animal studies student while attending Red Bend Catholic College. After graduating high school, Anita enrolled in a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2017, attending TAFE NSW Orange two days a week for theory work, while undertaking two days a week of voluntary, hands-on work experience at Forbes Veterinary Clinic.

In 2018, when she completed the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, Anita’s talents were acknowledged when she was offered full-time employment as a veterinary nurse at Forbes Veterinary Clinic.

Anita said, “As part of the Certificate IV in Veterinary Course you have to complete a set amount of placement hours in the workplace – the support that TAFE NSW provided to me and the Forbes Veterinary Clinic, was key to gaining full-time employment.”

“My experience with TAFE NSW was positive. The teachers were very supportive and encouraging, often coming to my workplace to see how my practical skills were progressing. I would encourage anyone to study at TAFE NSW – If you are willing to get in there and have a go, anything is possible.”

One person who is not surprised by Anita’s success is TAFE NSW Animal Studies Teacher, Kelli Johnston, who described the Forbes local as a ‘talented, hard-working student, with a big future in the industry’.

“Anita has a lovely warm compassionate persona which is suited perfectly to a career in veterinary nursing,” she said.

“Anita is proof that if you are willing to work hard you can realise your dreams. With the Australian Government predicting more than 9,000 new veterinary nurse positions across the country until 2023, and a further 7,000 new veterinary positions in that period, now’s a great time to consider a career in animal care.”

For information on a large range of animal studies courses available at TAFE NSW, including those now open for enrolments in semester two, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.