THE first cohort of women involved in a specially designed TAFE course program have completed their studies.<\/p>\n
WomenCAN Australia launched the initiative, called the Placement Circle, in Bendigo earlier this year to assist those starting out in, or making a return to, the workforce.<\/p>\n
Judy McGrath recently achieved her certificate three in aged care with the program and said it gave her the support she needed to get through her studies, which included a physically demanding placement.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it was like having this security blanket around me because you knew that there were people there you could turn to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we\u2019d gotten to know each other as a small group, I was more comfortable asking questions of the small group rather than the entire group of TAFE.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was lovely to know that they were there for you, and they\u2019d advocate for us with anything that we might need financial assistance with.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy intention is hopefully to work with the elderly in the community, so I\u2019ll be looking at providers that do that sort of service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be able to make a difference, that\u2019s what I\u2019m hoping to do, to make a difference in someone\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the project, Carla Langley, said its support for women throughout their job training meant they weren\u2019t left to go through \u201cdaunting\u201d TAFE and work processes on their own.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the women have said that without this program they wouldn\u2019t have continued, particularly women that have struggled,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can so easily just pull out of something if no one is saying \u2018come on\u2019 and there\u2019s no people lifting you up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Langley said next year, the Bendigo program will expand into pre-apprenticeships and trades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE first cohort of women involved in a specially designed TAFE course program have completed their studies. WomenCAN Australia launched the initiative, called the Placement Circle, in Bendigo earlier this year to assist those starting out in, or making a return to, the workforce. Judy McGrath recently achieved her certificate three in aged care with […]<\/p>\n