TAFE NSW will be holding a taster event to promote courses regarding disability awareness in study and the workplace. Held in Yass at 51 Church Street, the event will commence at 5:30 on Wednesday, 21st of June, and is expected to run for an hour and a half. The event is free to attend, both in person and virtually, however, due to limited space those attending are required to book in advance, with placements limited. Sarah Dawson from Yass TAFE spoke to the Yass Valley Times about the event, and why such awareness is necessary for the business and study sectors.
On what the coming information session will look like, and what to expect, Sarah tells;
“Specifically they will be learning about courses in disability areas and what that learning looks like and what skills they’ll gain from those qualifications”, said Sarah.
These qualifications and certificates include Cert III in Individual Sport for disability, Cert 4 in disability, community services and counselling to name a few, boasting a wide array of options. Some of these classes cover items such as Introduction to Computers and English Literacy.
“They’re things that you don’t realise might not be easy for everybody”, commented Sarah.
On the importance of these courses, as well as what they serve for the business and education sectors, Sarah explains;
“A lot of community service roles need to be fully trained and aware of procedures and practices.”
“At the moment there’s massive shortages in the disability sector, age care, disability support, so we’re trying to boost awareness and support for those roles and the qualifications needed, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have a bit of an info session”.
Previous taster events have been held with similar goals, and on their success, and importance to TAFE attendees and the wider community, Sarah says;
“They gained further understanding of the industry. They had a taste of life as a TAFE student. It is an opportunity to meet the teachers and ask questions they might have and enquire about future study options. I am aware of several people who attended these sessions who went on to enrol in multiple TAFE courses.”
“One in particular who completed her Certificate ll in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways gave her the skills and confidence to move into Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care and a Traineeship here in Yass”
This coming information session/taster event is one of three, with two others to come.
“We have a wide range of courses on offer, three of them are year 10, 11, 12 equivalent courses, which gives students who might not be doing as great at school a chance to come to TAFE and gain equivalent skills for further study. We’re preparing them for if they want to do a TAFE diploma or university degree, we’re giving them the skills to write assessment”, said Sarah.
Griffin Palen
