Career change leads to rewarding new role in childcare

With the support of Fee Free TAFE, Bradley Edwards has successfully transitioned his career from retail to early childhood education and care through TAFE SA.

A father of one, Bradley said he had been contemplating a career change since the COVID pandemic and chose the early childhood education and care sector because he was interested in engaging with children and helping them learn.

The “final push” that he needed to enrol in early childhood education and care training was Fee Free TAFE.

Fee Free TAFE students build new careers

Two young Tasmanians have turned a Fee Free TAFE course into a new career.

Max Blazely and Michael Matanofov both studied a Certificate II in Engineering Pathways at TasTAFE’s Alanvale Campus and excelled at the course. As a result of their success in the course, they both quickly earned apprenticeships in the metals industry.

Successful fee-free TAFE at CDU

In 2023, 600 students from across the NT were enrolled in fee-free TAFE courses at CDU, with the most common industries studied being agriculture, business, and the care sector.

By early 2024, about 250 students had completed, and more than 300 students were continuing their programs.

Fee Free course starts Estelle’s career

Estelle Wyllie was at a loose end in her career when she happened to see an advertisement for Fee Free TAFE on Facebook.

The post immediately caught her attention, and soon she and her mother were browsing the TasTAFE website to see if she was eligible for Fee Free TAFE and what courses were available.

After leaving a full-time role at a chemist seeking a new career, Estelle was unemployed and not quite sure what she wanted to do next.