26 August, 2019

TAFE NSW has helped a class of Finley students tap into the aged care jobs boom, with a remarkable 12 of the 14 students landing employment in the sector within weeks of graduating last month.

It comes as the recent Jobs of the Future report projected “aged care worker” would be the most in-demand profession in the Murray over the next two years, while a report by the Federal Government’s Aged Care Workforce Taskforce last year found the aged care workforce would have to triple by 2050 – from 366,000 staff to almost a million – to meet industry demand.

TAFE NSW Finley Aged Care Teacher Alison Luelf said that demand was so strong, graduates were almost guaranteed a job, with some even gaining employment while still studying.

“It’s a rapidly growing industry and there are jobs everywhere,” Ms Luelf said.

“A lot of the Finley class were career changers who wanted to try something different and could see there would be a job for them at the end of it.”

One of those career changers was Finley hairdresser Janelle Russell, who wanted another professional string to her bow after hairdressing for nearly quarter of a century.

“I always wanted to be a nurse but didn’t have the discipline at high school to get there,” Ms Russell said.

“I thought I would give this a go but I was quite anxious about getting back into the classroom after so long.

“The teachers were so amazing and tailored the course to my style of learning - I couldn’t have done it without them. Their industry experience just blows me away and we really were learning from the best.”

Ms Russell said as a naturally caring person, she was drawn to the idea of being able to help dignify the final years of a person’s life.

“These people are in a situation through no fault of their own and as a compassionate person, I like the idea that I can help care for people in that position,” she said.

The Certificate III Individual Support (Ageing) is a 12-month course that offers a blend of face-to-face and online learning, with students attending classes in person two days a week.

It can also be studied fully online via TAFE Digital.

To find out more about studying aged care at TAFE NSW, phone 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.