Lachlan Darmanin is encouraging school leavers to make the same smart choice that he did to study a degree in Applied Commerce majoring in Financial Planning at TAFE NSW and join the ranks of fellow graduates with a 95% employment success rate.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher in Accounting and Finance Diana Bugarcic said students could expect great outcomes by studying a degree at TAFE NSW.

Diana said, “TAFE NSW has been delivering financial planning and accounting degree courses for over eight years, and are very proud of our students success with 95% of our students employed in the industry by the end of their course.

“Our academic teaching staff work closely with the major associations including the FPA, AFA, CPA and CA which provides opportunities for students to participate and network with professionals and employers.”

Financial Planners can expect excellent job prospects with Australia ranked fourth globally in superannuation assets at nearly $3 trillion dollars.[1] There has also been a 25% increase in financial advisers in Australia over the last five years[2] – with an ageing population meaning more Australians are seeking professional financial advice.

When Lachlan finished his HSC, he discovered that he could apply immediately for a degree at TAFE NSW - even before he received his ATAR result - and was thrilled to be accepted.

Lachlan said, “I was originally considering studying project management, but when I finished high school I found that TAFE NSW had an orientation to the applied commerce degree, and I haven’t looked back since.”

“I like the practical skills and work experience that I’ve acquired by studying a degree at TAFE NSW and the more hands on approach. We were able to participate in role plays which are a great way of applying the knowledge that we have learnt.

At TAFE NSW we don’t just learn the information, we learn how to apply that knowledge in real-life scenarios.”

TAFE NSW students, including Lachlan, had the chance to display the breadth of their talents at the AMP University Challenge last month - a national financial planning competition for tertiary students that aims to identify promising new talent and promote high standards of education and professionalism among the next generation of advisers.

TAFE NSW took home the silver medal at the challenge with Lachlan enjoying the opportunity to apply his knowledge and make connections within the industry.

“The entire experience of the AMP Challenge was great, and I’m so proud of what we were able to achieve as a team. Our industry coach Gavin gave us an amazing insight to the financial planning role and gave us all useful information to remember for the day, working along side him was a lot of fun,” Lachlan said.

Subjects in management, marketing, law, economics and business statistics are included in the Applied Commerce degree to ensure students have the full range of knowledge and skills required to work effectively in the financial services industry, whether it be in financial planning, accounting or both.

For Lachlan, the degree means he’s well on the way to leading the new wave of Financial Planners in Australia.

“The TAFE NSW degree program is excellent and has given me the opportunity to participate in an internship  and make many industry connections. I look forward to my future role in Financial Planning,” Lachlan said.

To learn more about the Bachelor of Applied Commerce Financial Planning, Accounting or the double Financial Planning and Accounting major visit www.tafensw.edu.au or call 131 601.

Media contact: Alice Dalley, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner, alice.dalley1@tafensw.edu.au, mobile 0402 528 210.