TAFE NSW Kingscliff has been the study home for 22 Japanese students for two weeks of March, as part of a study partnership with the Kintetsu Osaka Pharmacy University in Japan.

For the past four years, the University has been sending its students to TAFE NSW Kingscliff to afford them the opportunity to upgrade and complement their English and retail pharmacy studies.

Twenty-year-old Keika Miyamogo said, “I came to Kingscliff to study and get experience in English. This will help me get a job at home in Japan. TAFE NSW has made me more excited and interested about my studies.”

The students study in the classroom for the majority of their stay, however TAFE NSW encourages them to learn at every opportunity. The students are housed with a host family in the area during their time in Australia, enabling them to experience local family life and improve their conversational English. The students also participate in an Aboriginal cultural walk with a local Elder where they are shown Aboriginal traditions and customs.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in Kingscliff and I have especially enjoyed the tours of Australian beaches and Indigenous culture which TAFE NSW has organised for us. It has really enhanced our learning experience and that has been my favourite thing,” said Keika.

With a reputation as a rewarding experience, TAFE NSW teachers and staff host the Japanese students each year.

Head Teacher of Career Pathways, Aboriginal Languages & Employability Skills, Kristie Hedley said TAFE NSW is equipping the students with skills to increase their employability when they return to Japan.

“Not only do the students get to see the practices within Australian pharmacies, they advance in their English capabilities a great deal from when they arrive to when they leave,” she said.

“They are shy to use English when they first arrive at TAFE NSW, but towards the end of their stay, the students write letters to their host families and they are all quite beautiful. Some of the host families from previous years have travelled to Japan to visit the students.”

For more detail on TAFE NSW courses at TAFE NSW Kingscliff or online, visit www.tafensw.com.au or call 131 601.

Media contact: Sarah Lievore, TAFE NSW Media & Communications Business Partner