TAFE NSW is delivering a pipeline of workers in the community service industry, with Ourimbah campus student Jack Brown almost set to enter the field.
The 34-year-old veteran has almost completed a Diploma of Community Services after nine years of working in the automotive refinishing business and five years in the Army.
Brown said he draws on his time in the Defence Force in his practical studies.
“Increasing awareness of mental health conditions is so important amongst veterans to combat stigma and increasing awareness of veterans’ issues in the community is equally as important,” he said.
“At TAFE I’ve learned that finding common ground with people is one of the most effective strategies in community services.
“I sustained an injury in the Army and was discharged after five years, and my own mental health suffered as a result.
“I was working in security, which caused my injury to flare-up, but I wasn’t sure what new career path to take.
“One of my colleagues, another ex‐veteran who was doing peer support work with Open Arms, mentioned community services.
“I knew I was passionate about supporting people with mental health issues, so I followed his advice and enrolled at TAFE NSW.
“I’ve since achieved my Certificates III and IV in Community Services and I’m nearing completion of my Diploma.”
As the National Skills Commission forecasts one of the highest expected growth rates over the next three years for the community service industry, TAFE is meeting the growing need for skilled workers by delivering the training required so they can forge a career in the sector.
TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Community Services, Patricia Griffin, said students were encouraged to draw upon their own experiences.
“Our collective resilience has been impacted by the global pandemic, and there are many other significant social and economic factors impacting communities on a local level,” she said.
“Our TAFE NSW students get hands‐on experience with case management through lots of role‐play, as well as work placements, and many of them incorporate lived experience into their communication strategies.”
Emma Donaldson is the Peer and Community Team Leader at Open Arms, which has been providing counselling and mental health support to veterans and their immediate families for more than 40 years.
She said access to skilled case workers was vital.
“Defence life and service, for both workers and their families, brings with it a unique set of circumstances and experiences,” she said.
“This makes access to skilled case workers so important for their mental health and wellbeing – during service, transitioning from service, and after service.
“Mental health support isn’t a one‐size‐fits‐all issue, and we need to support advocacy and recovery with different options and approaches.
“TAFE NSW delivers the training we look for across a range of disciplines, including peer workers and case workers, and Open Arms highly values workers with an understanding of military life.”
Brown said he had had some challenges with his mental and physical health during his studies.
“If it wasn’t for the support I received from my TAFE teachers, I may have dropped out,” he said.
“Now, I’m so close to finishing and so much closer to achieving my dream role with Open Arms.”
Source:
TAFE NSW