11 September 2019

Rutherford local, Renae Sim, isn’t letting her age deter her from taking on her family’s cattle breeding business after her father passed away last year.

After completing a Certificate IV in Vet Nursing online with TAFE Digital, Ms Sim also started working 30 hours a week for Jurox Animal Health as a large animals’ research scientist, complemented with her love of vet nursing, with PAWs Mobile Pet Vet for 12 hours a week.

“I have been involved with the family business all of my life, but when my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, he concentrated on teaching me all aspects of the fieldwork,” said Ms Sim.

“In August 2017, when I was 19, I took over all the practical work of All State Agricultural Service under Dad’s guidance, before he passed away in June 2018.”

Joining the strong vet nursing growth sector, which according to Job Outlook has 1,800 job openings a year, has certainly been the right choice for Ms Sim. Studying a vocational qualification with TAFE NSW allows students to learn the hands-on skills required to work in their chosen field, alongside the theory which helps them succeed in the workforce. [1]

Stepping into her father’s shoes has been Ms Sim’s number one achievement in her quest to be a leader in all aspects of animal health quickly coming to fruition.

“Mum runs the operations of the business and I conduct all the fieldwork, which includes bull fertility testing, bull semen collection and processing, artificial insemination programs and cattle pregnancy testing via ultrasound,” said Ms Sim.

“I loved the pathology units of my studies, as I use a lot of these skills whilst semen processing.”

Being a vet nurse has always been Ms Sim’s answer to the question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’.

“Choosing to study online with TAFE Digital meant I could meet my work commitments at All State Ag, which also resulted in part time employment with PAWS Mobile Pet Vet, where I did practical training,” she said. “A huge bonus was taking on the role at Jurox Animal Health after I’d completed my studies and practical training.”

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 Communications and Media Business Partner. M: 0417 134 048

[1] Grattan Institute Report, August 2019: In most cases a VET qualification will lead to work in a relevant field.