3 October 2019

Laverstock local, Samantha Brewer, is pursuing one of many employment opportunities in the veterinary nursing sector. With more than 1,800 job openings a year [1], there has never been a better time to turn a love of animals into a career.

Yass Valley Veterinary have expanded their Murrumbatemen Clinic and are scooping up TAFE NSW graduates, like Samantha.

Anita Privett, Yass Valley Vet’s nursing manager, said, “It was easy for Samantha to integrate into our team as she worked full-time while completing her studies, making her productive right from the start.

“Her demonstrable compassion and care of her patients were a pleasure to work with.”

TAFE NSW delivers a range of veterinary nursing courses to cater to the demand from the industry for skilled employees. Ms Brewer chose to study vet nursing online with TAFE Digital so that she could pursue the employment opportunities on offer throughout NSW and ACT.

Ms Brewer said, “After starting to study a Certificate IV in Vet Nursing with TAFE Digital, I was accepted by Yass Valley Veterinary to do my practical work placement and was advised the business was in the middle of expanding their Murrumbateman clinic, which presented an opportunity for me to secure employment.

“At the end of my third shift, I was pulled aside by my manager who said everyone was extremely impressed with my dedication and passion for working with animals and was offered a full-time role.”

While studying, Ms Brewer was a trainee vet nurse, making it easier to film videos as part of her practical assessments and on completion, quickly moved up in her career from a junior to more senior level 2 vet nurse.

Studying a vocational qualification with TAFE NSW allows students to learn the hands-on skills required to work in their chosen field, alongside the theory which helps them succeed in the workforce.

“As a regional resident and working full-time, it was essential for me to study online and I was very impressed with how knowledgeable and experienced the teachers were,” said Ms Brewer.

“They were quick to respond to any queries and offered valuable advice throughout my studies, particularly regarding clinical pathology units, which I use every day.”

Ms Brewer said she finds surgical nursing very interesting, with a variety of procedures almost a daily occurrence at the clinic.

“I’m fascinated by the anatomy side of things. The best procedure I’ve been involved in was an ex-lap (exploratory laparotomy surgery) my vet and I performed on a wombat with an obstruction in its intestine, which was a first for the clinic,” she said.

Media contact: Bonny Gunn, TAFE Digital Communications and Media Business Partner. M: 0417 134 048

[1] According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook, there are likely to be 9,000 job openings over five years, or 1,800 a year.