TAFE NSW Granville has enabled Lebanese national Mohamad Salloukh to be on the path to fulfilling his dream of working in cybersecurity. The 21-year-old student has completed three courses at TAFE NSW and is now in his final year of a Bachelor of Networking at MIT.

Mohamad is on the right path to career success as according to Jobs Outlook[1], a Bachelor Degree or higher, or at least five years of relevant experience, or relevant vendor certification is usually needed in order to gain employment in the sought after field of cyber security.

Mohamad completed the Certificate III Information and Digital Media Technology, followed by the Certificate IV, Diploma and Advance Diploma Networking and is now in his final year of a Bachelor of Networking at university.

“I have always had an interest in IT since I was young, I finished high school in Lebanon and moved to Australia with my family so we had access to better education,” said Mohamad Salloukh.

“I have been in Australia for two and a half years and I found TAFE NSW Granville to be a great place to study, especially for someone who was newly arrived to the country,”

Mohamad had a solid grasp of English from learning the language during high school in Lebanon and watching YouTube videos and was able to make a smooth transition to studying in Australia.

“My TAFE NSW teachers were great, they are very experienced and very knowledgeable plus they’re friendly and approachable. They were always there when I needed help or support.”

According to the Australian Computer Society[2], Australia’s ICT workforce is expected to increase to around 695,000 ICT workers by 2020, representing an average annual growth rate of 2.0 per cent (compared to 1.4 per cent for the workforce as a whole).

“The learning style at TAFE NSW is very flexible and I found it a good place to start studying for my career. I enjoyed the multicultural aspect as by the end of the course you’re sitting with people who have become your family.”

With a range of IT qualifications under his belt from TAFE NSW Granville, Mohamad has found that the knowledge and practical experience he has obtained has helped him take the next step with studying at university.

“When I was studying the courses, I obtained a lot of great skills and knowledge which made going to university easier, it definitely made me ready.

“I would definitely recommend studying at TAFE NSW, as the environment is supportive and you can easily make friends.

Information Technology Networking courses can be studied at TAFE NSW or as online via TAFE Digital. For more information visit www.tafensw.edu.au or call 131 601.  

Media contact: Teresa Lane, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner 9796 5476, mobile 0412 773 887