Macksville now has its very own aged care training facility which is great news for locals wanting a career in one of the state’s largest growth industries.
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Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills, John Barilaro, and Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, opened the new home for the college opposite Autumn Lodge and met local carpenters already taking part in a first aid course on campus.
Mr Barilaro, an ex-chippie, said it was great to see firsthand the potential of the new facility to enrich the wider community.
The new Nambucca Vocational College campus comprises four modular classrooms including a lab, meeting rooms and student facilities.
Ms Pavey said the new facility and the opportunities it provides the local community should not be underestimated.
“It’s just so empowering. This will help keep people local and give young people a gateway for employment into a huge growth sector,” Ms Pavey said.
The NSW Government, through Smart and Skilled, is funding the College’s traineeship program and has invested $2.2 billion in private registered training organisations (RTO) and TAFEs throughout the state.
“Right now, Nambucca Valley Care has an 80 per cent completion rate of training courses, which is much higher than the average in the public sector, which suggests that we could learn a thing or two from them,” Mr Barilaro said.
About 92 job seekers have already enrolled in the Smart and Skilled Pre-vocational Skills program and most have gone on to further training or full-time jobs within Nambucca Valley Care (NVC).
NVC CEO John Butler says the college offers Certificate III in Individual support, Certificate IV in Ageing, First Aid courses, hospitality courses, and will soon offer horticultural courses.
“Some sites you see offer courses where you get a certificate in as little as 48 hours, which is just ridiculously inadequate for aged care. Our certificates go for 12 months and are majority on the job training in one of our facilities,” Mr Butler said.
Nambucca resident Friedom Towney is an Aboriginal mother of four who worked in hospitality before enrolling in a Certificate III in Individual Support at Nambucca Vocational College.
She is now employed in residential care, and hopes to later do a Certificate IV and then perhaps become an enrolled nurse.
“My aims have become much higher and I feel rewarded for making a difference to someone’s life,” Ms Towney said.
Mel Leigh Dee
Mel is a journalist at the Guardian News and is based in Macksville.
Mel is a journalist at the Guardian News and is based in Macksville.
