19 August 2019

47-year-old Samantha Wadds is so happy about her experience with TAFE NSW she wants to shout it from the rooftops. Rooftops she now has a hand in selling, in her new career as a Real Estate Agent.

Fourteen years ago, Samantha had a high-flying role heading up marketing and sponsorship for HSBC in Australia. Soon after the birth of her two children, Samantha's husband nabbed a job in the United States. The whole family moved overseas and Samantha decided to take a break from work to focus on her children.

When Samantha and her family moved back to Australia a few years ago, she started thinking about how she could re-enter the workforce.

“There was naturally some trepidation – how much had the industry changed since I’d been away? I started researching what I could study that would suit my skill set and decided to enrol in the Certificate IV in Property Management.”

"I was able to attend the course one day a week to fit in with my busy home life,” Samantha said.

Lucky for Samantha, she’s joining the industry during a period of extended growth. The number of Real Estate Sales Agents grew very strongly over the past five years and is expected to grow over the next five years from 90,800 in 2018 to 97,400 by 2023.

Since completing the Certificate IV at TAFE NSW Sam has gained her Real Estate License and works at Century 21 in Bondi Junction.

Her employer Nicholas Armstrong-Smith says her wealth of experience and enthusiasm for the job make her a delight to have on the team.

“Samantha has such maturity and competence; studying at TAFE NSW has given her the confidence and industry knowledge to succeed.”

Samantha wants to share her experience to encourage others who are thinking of getting back into the game.

“If there is anyone out there who has taken a few years out from work I want to share the message that being a bit older you do bring a lot more to the job. I’ve grown as a person and I bring that maturity into my role,” Samantha said.

“The teachers at TAFE NSW helped instil the confidence I needed and reminded me that I am more than capable of re-training and succeeding in my new career.”

With more than 1200 courses and access to more than 25,000 employers, TAFE NSW can help you get back into the workforce. To find out what courses are on offer, visit www.tafensw.com.au or phone 131 601.

Media contact: Alice Dalley, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner, mobile 0402 528 210.