15 April, 2019

YOU’RE never too old to learn, just ask Temora couple Jack and Lyn Jefferis.

At an age when most of their friends are enjoying their retirement years, Jack, 71, and Lyn, 67, have gone “back to school”, enrolling in a Certificate I in Business Administration at TAFE NSW Temora.

And despite being decades older than the average TAFE NSW student, the couple are relishing the hands-on, personalised training offered at TAFE NSW Temora.

“We really just wanted to update our computer skills. We didn’t even know what a browser was before we started,” Mrs Jefferis said.

“Computer skills are absolutely essential; everything you do now has an online connection.

“We missed out on those skills in our formative education so decided to do it now.”

Research from the office of the eSafety Commissioner found that of Australia’s eight million people aged over 50, just three in 10 had a high level of digital literacy and that decreased with age.

As part of the Certificate I in Business Administration, students do units on basic computing skills, such as spreadsheets and word processing.

“The teacher is great and she walks us through every step of the way,” Mrs Jefferis said. “The learning facilities at TAFE NSW Temora are also wonderful.”

For the Jefferis’, who moved from Wollongong to Temora last year, the course has bolstered their confidence and empowered them to become further immersed in their community.

“Temora is known as ‘the friendly town’ and believe me it is,” Mrs Jefferis said. “The friendliness and genuineness of people is amazing. We’ve joined Rotary and I’m now running a trivia night, where I hope to start posting the scores on an Excel spreadsheet.”

TAFE NSW Temora Business Administration teacher Glenda Prentice said it was deeply gratifying to see students like the Jefferies’ thrive in the classroom environment.

“Most of the students didn’t know much about computing when they started the course but they certainly do now,” Ms Prentice said.

“Many students do the course as a pathway to an entry level admin job but others go on to build their skills even further by studying a Certificate II or III in Business Administration at TAFE NSW.” Business Administration courses can also be studied online, when and where it suits students, via TAFE Digital.

To find out more about studying Business Administration at TAFE NSW Temora, phone 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au.

Media contact: Daniel Johns, TAFE NSW Media and Communications – Business Partner, 6938 1441, mobile 0477 722 428.