12 August 2024

TAFE Digital has helped a Penrith animal lover take a once-in-a-lifetime working trip to the safari grounds of Namibia and forge a promising career in the booming animal care sector.

Allison Jones, 28, has had a lifelong affinity with animals, harbouring dreams during her schooling years of becoming a veterinarian.

After working a series of retail jobs, Ms Jones enrolled in a Certificate III in Animal Studies at TAFE NSW Richmond in 2021 and has since secured a job as a trainee vet nurse at Penrith Veterinary Hospital.

Keen to take her practical skills and knowledge to the next level, Ms Jones recently enrolled in a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing through TAFE Digital, affording her the flexibility to learn online, when and where it best suited her busy schedule.

It comes as vet nursing jobs are in a steep growth phase nationally, with Jobs and Skills Australia predicting the number of nurses will skyrocket from the current number of 10,700 to 17,800 by 2026.

During her TAFE Digital course, Ms Jones was offered an opportunity to travel to Namibia in April for a hands-on experience treating exotic animals at the world-renowned Hannas Wildlife Foundation.

“It was just life-changing and so surreal,” Ms Jones sad.

“We did several fly-ins with animals like lions and hyenas, where we would get to ‘dart’ them, give them vaccinations and take their bloods for later studies.

“I was also part of a number of surgical procedures on monkeys and baboons.

“I had so many experiences I’d never had before and got to work with animals I’d only ever dreamed about; animals you see at the zoo and just say ‘wow’.”

Ms Jones hopes to become a fully qualified vet nurse and eventually become a feline specialist. She said the flexibility of her TAFE Digital course had enabled her to “earn and learn” simultaneously.

“Because it’s online, I’m not tied to a timetable and it’s allowed me to work, pay my rent and study at a time that suits me best,” Ms Jones said. “The course has prepared me so well for the realities of the job too. For example, the reception unit really helped prepare for one of the hardest parts of the job, supporting animals in their final hours.”

TAFE Digital animal studies graduates like Ms Jones are in high demand, according to head teacher of animal care Lisa Terry.

“There’s such a high need for jobs like vet nurses, vet receptionists, animal attendants and kennel hands, and there will be an even higher demand for those jobs in future,” Ms Terry said.

Ms Terry said many TAFE Digital animal studies students secured work shortly after graduating, or even during their work placement. TAFE Digital offers anytime enrolment for courses including Certificate II in Animal Care, Certificate III in Animal Care and Certificate IV in Vet Nursing.

Media contact: Dan Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 0477 722 428