15 October 2024

A Mudgee teen whose dreams of being a dance teacher were upended by a difficult home life has credited TAFE NSW with helping her launch a new career in childcare.

Natteisha Gibson, 19, was forced to abandon a promising career as a dancer while in her mid-teens, causing her mental health to spiral downwards.

A new career horizon appeared in her senior high school years when a school teacher suggested she consider a childcare traineeship through TAFE Digital.

Seeking an in-demand career, Ms Gibson worked as a trainee at Dunedoo Preschool two days a week and attended school three days a week while completing her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care at TAFE Digital. After leaving school in 2023, she moved to Mudgee and now works as an educator at Mudgee’s Kiddie Academy.

According to the Australian Government Jobs Outlook, an extra 11,000 early childhood educators nationwide are needed to fill jobs from now until 2026. And according to a world-first study by Victoria University, there are more than twice as many children of childcare age nationally than there are childcare places, an issue even more dire in regional areas like Mudgee.

“I was lost for a while after realising I couldn’t become a dance teacher but I always had a good way with kids so thought I would enter a traineeship,” she said.

“The ability to earn and learn at the same time was really appealing and it really gave me a headstart to my career.”

Battling chronic anxiety and a challenging home life, Ms Gibson relied on personalised learning support from TAFE Digital to complete the course.

“I was very anxious and was struggling at home and school … and I wasn’t sure I would get through the course,” she said.

“The one-on-one learning support from my TAFE Digital teacher really made the difference. If I didn’t understand a question, they would break it down for me and frame in terms I could understand.”

So profound was her transformation, Ms Gibson was awarded School-based Trainee of the Year at the 2024 TAFE NSW Excellence Awards.

She is now studying a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care to help progress her career even further.

TAFE Digital early childhood teacher Mikeilla Burnett said employment outcomes for graduates were exceptional and Ms Gibson was testament to that.

“There are new childcare centres opening up everywhere and they are actively seeking to employ TAFE NSW graduates,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful job if you have a desire to help others and want to have a positive impact on a child’s life.”

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