27 January, 2021

Australia is known as a land of opportunity, and immigrant Radek Hruska has discovered there’s plenty of substance to the saying.

In just two years, Mr Hruska has moved to Australia, graduated from a TAFE NSW course earning an ATAR equivalent of 98.4 and is working through a master’s degree in business administration at university.

The Bermagui resident left his home in the Czech Republic in 2018 so his daughters could experience an Australian education and be closer to his Australian wife’s family.

One of his first priorities was to improve his written and spoken English, a visit to TAFE NSW Bega resulted in him enrolling in the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation (TPC), the TAFE NSW course that arms graduates with an ATAR equivalent.

“The TPC was really good for me as I didn’t have any recognised education in Australia. So here I was, a 45-year-old family man, from the Czech Republic, who used to own and publish adventure magazines, studying the equivalent of the HSC,” Mr Hruska said.

“I was a bit anxious at first, I hadn’t studied for a long time and when I was in high school, I was more interested in sports than my education. This time around I was determined to achieve a result that could open opportunities in the future.

Future opportunities are at the heart of Mr Hruska’s advice to anyone who didn’t sit their HSC or didn’t receive the result they were after.

“The TPC can be completed in just one year and if you focus and work hard for that year, the result can change the rest of your life. It wasn’t all me though. The teachers offered each student an incredible amount of support. It was a very inclusive experience.”

Armed with a strong Tertiary Entrance Score, he started 2020 with an acceptance to study a Bachelor of Business Administration at ANU. However, the bushfires resulted in him missing his first semester. The university suggested with his previous business experience, and strong TPC results he should consider a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

“On their advice I completed a Graduate Certificate of Management and have been accepted to study the masters.

“My goal is to raise my family on the Far South Coast while using my education to secure a career in a large company or organisation.”

TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Career Pathways Joy Sharpe said the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation builds confidence in people who want to make a career change.

“It is another option for students who are not happy with their ATAR, but it is also is useful for people wanting to move from a vocational job into a profession,” Ms Sharpe said.

“It gives students the confidence and skills to be able to conduct research and write essays with the right referencing. The TPC is a real head start for anyone going to university.

“It’s one year that sets graduates up with a great education foundation for the rest of their lives.”

2021 is the perfect time to make the change for an exciting future. For more information on a range of courses available at TAFE NSW for semester one enrolment, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

Media contact: Daniel Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 6938 1441, mobile 0477 722 428.