28 November 2022
Nearly 80 graduates have secured an employment edge over fellow Year 11 and Year 12 students after completing ANMEC’s VET in Schools program.
“Certificate III in Individual Support qualifies them to be a care worker in aged, home care or disability workers, particularly in aged care, so these hard-working students will likely have several options available to them when they decide to enter the workforce,” ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said.
“ANMEC has strong and established relationships with residential aged care and disability providers who prefer to employ our students.
“The students should be congratulated for not only completing this course but completing the juggling act which is the life of a senior high school student – those organisational skills will put you in good stead for the future.”
Since the VET in Schools program began in February, the students have learnt about manual handling, infection control, palliative care, completing disability units and healthy body systems.
Year 12 student Chantelle Braciak was prepared for the theory component of the course but found the all-important placements more challenging.
“When you are actually in a nursing home it is very different and sometimes very confronting,” Chantelle said.
“It wasn’t what I was expecting because you practice on each other (the other students) but then you offer care in the work environment and it is so different.
“The placements are important because if you didn’t do them you wouldn’t know how to do the job. There are certain ways to do things like washing residents and assisting them.”
Chantelle has now set her sights on becoming an Enrolled Nurse in mental health but will be completing a bridging course before tackling further studies.
Eleanor Wilkinson applied for the course with the hope of eventually following her mother into nursing.
The Year 11 student, like the rest of the VET in Schools students, completed her placements during the school holidays.
“I enjoyed my placements, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. I also managed to fit in work so it was good to get through,” Eleanor said.
“I liked making connections with the residents, like playing games with them and getting to know them better.
“I told them I wanted to become a nurse in the future and they were saying how good I would be as nurse because of the empathy I showed towards them.”
Her eventual goal is to become a Registered Nurse or a Clinical Nurse.
Course manager Kylie Cakau said some of the students had put in extra hours over the past few weeks in order to complete the course.
“If the desire, determination and work ethic is there, our educators will do everything possible to help students achieve their goals,” Ms Cakau said.
For more information on VET in Schools click here:
VET in Schools CHC33015 Certificate III Individual Support