Senior school students are being given a head-start in dream careers thanks to courses which were previously only a post-school option at TAFE or university.
Brisbane Catholic Education colleges and close industry connections for traineeships are being offered to Year 11 students such as St Francis College, Crestmead’s Rory Jones and Shairon Eremugo.
They’re balancing senior studies with a course towards a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance.
They’re also doing a paid school-based traineeship.
“It’s challenging and I’m really enjoying it,” Ms Jones said who was one of eight trainees to be awarded a paid school-based position as an aged care nursing assistant.
“It’s given me an idea of what working in aged care will be like. Now I am really interested in pursuing work in this area which really surprised me as I was initially interested in working in midwifery,” she said.
Similarly, Ms Eremugo secured a paid traineeship with Metro South Health at Logan Hospital, and has found a path more appealing and accessible to her to forge a career as a registered nurse.
“I get to work in the rehabilitation ward, learn from a registered nurse and care for real patients,” she said.
“I assist patients with dressing and personal hygiene, feeding, recording fluid and meal intakes, with mobility and how to safely use hoists.”
Ms Eremugo was inspired by watching medical documentaries and admiring the way that her parents and other family members work in social services caring for others.
There are more than 100 applications each year for 12 hospital-based traineeships.
Traineeships are typically one day per week.
According to Adam Stephen, Care Manager for OSMAC Apprenticeships, the recruitment process is both competitive and challenging and “only the very best students make it through to final round”.
“Shairon was one of 12 trainees appointed this year, and she is very deserving of it,” Mr Stephen said.
“Despite the year being heavily impacted by COVID, Shairon’s calm demeanour and the ability to produce quality work under pressure was underpinned by the skills and knowledge received in her course at St Francis College.”
PHOTO: Assistant nurse in training Abil Nyok from St Francis College, Crestmead
