22 October 2019

According to Job Outlook the high demand for qualified paramedics and ambulance officers is expected to continue growing, with 13,000 job openings over the next five 5 years, or about 2,600 a year.

With a burning ambition to study paramedicine when he finishes his home schooling, 15 year-old Albury local, Stuart Nichols, has recently completed a Certificate III in Business with TAFE Digital. He has since been accepted into a nursing camp run by the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, held at Narrandera.

Mr Nichols said, “I chose this particular course because it relates to a variety of disciplines, not just business, and many of the skills are transferrable to the voluntary work that I do with St John Ambulance.

“Completing the Certificate III was one of my biggest study achievements – it’s given me the confidence to continue studying in an online environment and is a great step to achieve my tertiary education dream. I have now enrolled in a Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting, which I’ll study while completing my HSC, to meet the prerequisites of being accepted at university.”

Practical use of Work, Health and Safety legislation learnt was of particular benefit to Mr Nichols at St John Ambulance.

“I was able to implement techniques to avoid and mitigate hazards when applying first aid and was even asked to write a report after a team and I attended an evacuation centre exercise,” he said. “My superiors commended me for the documentation produced, and I have subsequently put these techniques into practice when writing up patient treatment reports.”

Mr Nichols’ thirst for knowledge, working with people with different learning and intrapersonal styles and actively engaging with people from different demographics respectfully, has meant he can further develop his skills.

Because Mr Nichols lives in a rural area, travelling to a campus is not an option for him and he also found the wide range of online courses offered by TAFE Digital appealing, giving him the flexibility to work at his own pace from the comfort of home, with all the resources he needs on hand.

“Because I am home-schooled, I had the flexibility to complete tasks and assignments efficiently and effectively, without having to wait for certain lectures or sessions,” he said. “The TAFE Digital educational support team were fabulous with quick assistance, feedback and responses to any queries I had via email or phone, which suited me perfectly.”

Please visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/digital to see TAFE Digital’s hundreds of courses across a range of modern industries.

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