15 October 2019

Illawarra local, Rachel Ryan, has risen in the ranks to take on a high-performing managerial role at the Department of Human Services after completing a Diploma of Leadership and Management online with TAFE Digital.

Mrs Ryan said, “My team contributed to transferring $3.6 billion between separated parents, which supports approximately 1.2 million children nationwide during the last financial year.”

Since completing the Diploma, Mrs Ryan now manages 10 staff members, which is a huge responsibility due to the sensitive nature of Child Support work.

“I often look back at my Diploma notes for advice and references on how to tackle certain situations, especially ‘managing people’s performance’, which has been of most benefit to me.”

Motivating her team to achieve KPIs with high-engagement activities has been integral to Mrs Ryan’s success. “We regularly have sessions on how to deal with stressful situations and sensitive issues,” she said.

“Ensuring my team’s well-being and building their confidence has been fundamental to our success.”

As a busy mother with young children and working full-time, Mrs Ryan chose to pursue her studies online with TAFE NSW.

“I wanted to increase my knowledge with a nationally recognised diploma and improve my understanding of the role with practical resources and tips to use in my daily work environment,” she said.

Mrs Ryan is now able to not only address underperformance, but celebrates high-performing staff members as well.

“I believe my best work achievements have been developing staff and supporting them to achieve their career goals within the department,” she said.

“I’ve been given the opportunity to mentor staff who have in turn been promoted to managerial roles – it’s extremely rewarding seeing them achieve their career goals.”

Mrs Ryan said the most appealing aspect of studying online was the flexibility of being able to schedule time for research, assignments and exams when it suited her, and to fit in with her hectic schedule.

“I would wait until the kids were asleep and I had some down-time to concentrate,” she said. “The support TAFE Digital offered was fantastic. The teachers were so knowledgeable and took a genuine interest in my learnings, answering my many emails very quickly.”

To see TAFE Digital’s hundreds of online courses across a range of modern industries, please visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/digital

Media contact: Bonny Gunn, TAFE Digital Media and Communications Business Partner. M: 0417 134 048