30 September 2024

A TAFE NSW Nowra graduate whose passion for horticulture was forged in the rugged alpine mountains of Austria has been honoured with a prestigious national scholarship.

Olivia Williams, 23, had never considered a career in horticulture before embarking on a gap year as an exchange student in Austria, where she was billeted to a family that ran a business specialising in endemic plant species.

It unlocked a love of horticulture in Ms Williams, who upon returning to her Jervis Bay home, turned her back on an offer to study linguistics at Sydney University and enrolled in a Certificate III in Horticulture at TAFE NSW Nowra.

She was offered a horticulture apprenticeship at Schultz Landscaping in Tomaree and after completing her apprenticeship early this year, now co-manages the nursery section.

Ms Williams was recently announced as one of 25 national winners of the Global Footprints Scholarship, which grants $9000 to recipients in the agriculture, horticulture or trades fields to travel overseas for industry experience and professional development.

“When I got the call telling me I’d been awarded the scholarship, I almost dropped the phone,” Ms Williams said.

She plans to use the scholarship money to travel abroad and explore her interest in species conservation and bush regeneration.

“I’m really interested in the intersection point between horticulture and conservation and this will be an amazing opportunity to explore how other countries are doing this,” Ms Williams said.

According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook, the nation’s gardening services industry is in a strong growth phase, generating annual revenue of nearly $3 billion by the end of 2024.

Ms Williams said the TAFE NSW Nowra course gave her the job-ready skills to make an immediate impact in her role.

“My teacher was so experienced and was able to pass that experience onto the class,” she said.

“I also got a lot out of the plant identification unit and enjoyed going out into nature and doing my own research for the assessment.”

TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Horticulture Ben Garnero said Ms Williams was one of a growing band of emerging female horticulturalists making their mark on the industry.

“Horticulture is a very exciting industry to be a part of right now and it’s great to see TAFE NSW graduates like Olivia having such success,” he said.

“This is another great example of the real-world skills TAFE NSW gives its students as it trains the workforce of the future.”

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