23 January, 2019

They’re the undisputed kings of the ocean, hulking sea beasts that can tear prey apart instantly with their four-inch long teeth.

For TAFE NSW Albury student, Alex Edelman, killer whales are so endlessly fascinating, she plans to make a career out of studying them at university.

Next month, the 22-year-old will take her first tentative steps to realising a childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist, specialising in researching and tracking wild orcas when she embarks on a degree in marine biology.

With her sights set on university, Ms Edelman decided to go “back to school” in 2017 and enrolled in a Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC) at TAFE NSW Albury. The TPC is a unique TAFE NSW bridging course that compresses years 11 and 12 into a single year of study and arms graduates with an ATAR equivalent.

“The course was just fantastic,” she said. “The learning environment was far more adult than school and the teachers really treated you as an equal. If I missed a class due to health or family reasons, teachers would email me everything I missed.”

The tailored learning environment worked wonders, with Ms Edelman securing the marks to enter a Bachelor of Marine and Antarctic Science.

“Marine biology is my dream job; anyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with whales,” she said. “If I can play a part in helping make sure the killer whale is thriving, rather than dying off, it would be incredible.”

TAFE NSW Albury Education Pathways Teacher Zoe Mason said TPC students were an eclectic group but most often were students who weren’t happy with their ATAR and wanted to resit the HSC, or current members of the workforce who wished to change career and gain entrance to university or other organisations, such as the Defence Force.

“It’s a great way for those that haven’t studied in a while to brush up on their research skills, gain confidence and gain entry to higher education,” Ms Mason said.

She said enrolments for the Certificate III in Pathways to Further Study and Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation Certificate were now open for semester one, which commences on 4 February.

To enquire find out more about the TPC course call 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au

Media contact: Daniel Johns, TAFE NSW Media and Communications – Business Partner, 6938 1441, mobile 0477 722 428.