18 June, 2020

A Khancoban mum-of-three who went from cleaning the local chemist to dispensing medication from behind the counter has credited TAFE NSW with helping her remarkable career rise.

Angela Watzinger, 31, was hired as a cleaner at the Khancoban Chemist in mid-2019 when she developed an interest in the medical side of the business, capturing the attention of pharmacist and owner Marko Popovich.

She was offered a job as a sales assistant and as her knowledge grew, so too did her ambition to become a pharmacy assistant.

There was only one small problem: Ms Watzinger had no formal qualifications and her nearest TAFE NSW campus was a four-hour round trip away in Albury. Enter TAFE Digital, allowing Ms Watzinger to enrol in a Certificate II in Community Pharmacy and study at her own pace, when and where it suited her and her family.

Ms Watzinger completed the course in March and was immediately offered a job as a pharmacy assistant, a role predicted to have more than 35,000 job openings over the next five years, according to the federal government’s Job Outlook report.

“I have a fascination with the medication side of things and it’s just a great job,” Ms Watzinger said. “I love being engaged with the community and helping people with their health and wellbeing.

“Studying online with TAFE NSW is fantastic, especially for those of us in more remote locations. I could do the course at my own time and balance it with family life and work.

“My teacher was so knowledgeable and extremely supportive and easy to contact.

“Everything I learned was so relevant to the job and I gained so much knowledge I could put into practice and help people.”

Khancoban Chemist pharmacist Marko Popovich said the online TAFE NSW course had been a lifeline for his business.

“In small towns like this where there are a limited number of people under 40, it’s not easy to find someone keen to work and interested in the job,” he said.

“TAFE NSW gave Angela the opportunity to study online to get the qualifications she needed  and fit it in with her family life.

“It really levels the playing field for people in the bush and it has helped my business immeasurably.”

To find out more about the range of online study options at TAFE NSW, phone 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au/digital

Media contact: Daniel Johns, TAFE NSW Media and Communications – Business Partner, 6938 1441, mobile 0477 722 428.