Charlotte Abbott loves to care for the pets and animals in her community, and thanks to TAFE NSW, the 17-year-old already has a burgeoning career doing what she loves.

The Leadville teenager has almost completed a two-year, school-based traineeship with TAFE NSW Dubbo to gain a Certificate II in Animal Studies while working part-time at the Coolah Veterinary Clinic.

Next year, Charlotte will go on to study a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing online through TAFE Digital while working in the clinic three days a week.

“They have never treated me like the work experience kid; they’ve always treated me like I work here, and I already feel like it’s my real job. I love everything about it,” Charlotte said.

“The traineeship has taught me so much – I’m learning so many skills and getting more responsibility all the time. It’s amazing to be able to follow my interest and already be doing what I want to do with my life.”

According to the Federal Government’s Job Outlook, strong growth is expected for veterinary nurses in the coming years, with total employment figures to increase to 13,600 jobs nationally by 2024.

Charlotte said she initially considered studying to become a nurse but joked that she “could not put up with people, so I chose animals”.

“I always knew I wanted to do a traineeship with TAFE NSW while I was at school,” she said.

“I wanted to get into working as soon as possible and get out and experience life. Sitting in a classroom just isn’t my style.”

Charlotte grew up on the family farm and loves being able to work as part of a team to care for animals in need.

“We’ve had lots of rat-bait dogs in recently and when you help them pull through, it’s an amazing feeling,” Charlotte said.

“It feels like a real accomplishment to help save an animal’s life and I love helping my community.”

Coolah Veterinary Clinic vet nurse Jaimi White said Charlotte had been an asset to the clinic during her traineeship and they were very happy to offer her a part-time position in 2022.

“It’s been wonderful to watch her confidence and her skills grow. I can see that she is learning the most up-to-date, practical industry skills from TAFE NSW. Sometimes I even learn from her,” Jaimi said.

“This traineeship is really giving her a head start in the career she wants. She’s very passionate about vet nursing, and she likes working, so it’s great to see her pursuing what she loves and what makes her happy at such a young age.”

Explore hundreds of courses and pursue your passion with life-changing training at TAFE NSW. For more information visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.
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Media contact: Terra Sword, Communications Specialist. Phone: 0437 697 723. Email: terra.sword@tafensw.edu.au.