As hundreds of year 12 students across Western Sydney focus on one of the most important periods of their lives, a Rouse Hill local has proved that an ATAR is not the only way to your dream career. 

Cameron Gaul (pictured right) has always wanted to be an engineer since he was young but when he saw the ATAR to get into the course, he considered other pathways to university.

After hearing about the TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation, an alternative pathway into higher education that does not require an ATAR, Cameron jumped at the opportunity.

He is now in his first year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at Macquarie University and said he is thriving at University.

“I’ve always been a hands-on person and TAFE NSW provided the perfect learning environment where I could learn the practical skills needed to get into an engineering degree,” Cameron said.

“The way the tertiary preparation course is designed and delivered made it easy for me to understand and motivated me particularly because I always found the school environment wasn’t best suited to the way I learn.”

It’s a great time for Cameron to pursue a career in this field, with careers in engineering reporting a full-time employment rate of 83.1 per cent.

TAFE NSW Team Leader of Career Pathways and Employability Skills, Louis Maule, said the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation was perfect for mature age students or school leavers to fast track their way into university.

“Whether you didn’t get the marks you were after or you didn’t sit the HSC, the course is designed to pathway students into higher education without needing to do the HSC,” Mr Maule said.

“It also qualifies students to work in the Australian Defence Force or study a Diploma or higher qualification, so the options are limitless.”

To enrol in the Tertiary Preparation Certificate, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or call 131 601.

Media contact: Jessica Cortis, Media and Communications Business Partner, 0456 170 211.