TAFE NSW graduate Pat Sunderland has landed a position as Breakfast radio producer at ABC Riverina just months after completing his studies. He’s joined the national broadcaster at a time when people are turning to radio as a critical source of information and connection during the COVID-19 crisis.   

The North Wagga Wagga local had been out of university for a couple of years and said he didn’t really feel like his career was going in the direction he wanted it to. 

“I had been working as a gaming attendant at a TAB for a long time, and it was an easy job but not very rewarding, and definitely not the field in which I wanted to work,” Pat said. 

“I had always been interested in radio, and I had done a year of very casual community radio at university. So, one day, on a complete whim, I decided to stop being like "hey I should try doing radio some day" and instead make an actual decision! So I googled some courses until I found one that I was interested in, and applied.”

Pat enrolled in the Certificate IV in Screen and Media (Radio) at TAFE NSW Ultimo in February 2021 and said the hands-on nature of the course meant he quickly got up to speed with the skills he needed to work in radio.  

“I really appreciated the practical work. As part of the radio course, you quickly start work on putting together actual radio shows, which go to air every Friday.  

“It gives you experience as a producer, as a host, as a creator of content. My other assignments also involved doing things like organising interviews and recording vox pops, and it's proved unbelievably valuable to have that experience.”

Head Teacher of Screen and Media at TAFE NSW Natalie Pozdeev said the Certificate IV in Screen and Media (Radio) tackles production of multiplatform content, interviewing, announcing, and operating a radio panel.

“In addition to their studies, we encourage our students to look for opportunities to get experience in the field and Pat was very tenacious, landing a week of work experience at ABC Orange,” Ms Pozdeev said.

“It was a great opportunity for Pat to apply what he had learnt. One thing led to another, and he soon landed a job producing the breakfast show with Sally Bryant at ABC Riverina.

“Through the course, Pat gained a whole range of really practical, contemporary media making skills and experience working in a fast-paced environment, producing a radio show with his classmates, which he loved. Now he looks at home behind the panel in the ABC studios.”

To find out more about the range of study options available at TAFE NSW including the Certificate IV of Screen and Media (Radio), visit www.tafensw.edu.au or call 131 601. 

Media contact: Alice Dalley, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, alice.dalley1@tafensw.edu.au, mobile 0402 528 210.