By KYLIE JONES
Pic: Esther Bemrose.
Pic: Sharon Leaney.
Pic: Georgia Gow.
AS their children start school, young mums find they have more time on their hands with many looking for opportunities to return to the workforce to ease the financial burdens.
Often the careers they once had now don’t fit in with their family commitments and find them searching for options which are few and far between.
Many local mums are jumping on board the opportunities that Kingscliff and Murwillumbah TAFE offer to provide people with the skills to kick start a new career.
Esther Bemrose is one of those mums who decided it was time to return to the workforce.
“I had previously worked as a dental nurse, so always had an interest in working in the health care industry, though I recognised that I needed to obtain a qualification to increase my opportunities for employment in this field,” she said.
Esther decided to enrol in a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance which she studied part-time at Kingscliff Campus.
“The nursing facility is set up as a hospital with all the latest technology,” Esther said.
“The timetable for the course fitted in perfectly with family commitments and I found upon completion I was extremely confident with the skills I had acquired.”
Esther was lucky enough to obtain a casual position as patient care assistant at John Flynn Hospital.
Through her enthusiasm to succeed Esther has worked her way up to a permanent part-time position in day surgery.
The next step for Esther is to return to her studies to become a qualified registered nurse.
“As a mature aged student I have definitely found I am more focused and have a passion to achieve.”
The continually emerging industry of information technology and, in particular, web design appealed to Sharon Leaney.
“I was working part-time with little job satisfaction, so decided that I needed to take a risk to try something new, and change my circumstances in order to find enjoyment in my work and a better fit with my family life,’’ she said.
Sharon completed a Certificate III in Information Technology and was highly commended for her studies at the Student Awards of Excellence, where she was awarded overall winner of the Information Technology and Creative Industries Faculty.
“I am now slowly building my business in web design and web administration and am excited about my future prospects.”
Georgia Gow, mother to six year old son Narrah, is currently studying a Certificate IV in Community Services and Welfare at Murwillumbah Campus.
“TAFE has given me flexibility and made studying achievable for me as a parent,” she said.
Georgia is building on previous studies and is extremely passionate about environmental and community development.
“I have had the opportunity to follow up my studies with work in the industry that I am passionate about,” she said.
