Fee-Free TAFE sees Chris give back to his community

“The nurses who helped me recover were so amazing that my interest in a career in nursing was sparked,” explained Chris.

Also motivating Chris was the boredom of his unchallenging retail and his desire to give back to his community and be proud of himself.

“I met nurses in my retail job, and just through the conversations with them, I found them to be noble with a respectability about themselves that I found curious. Also, being a male nurse in a female-dominated industry will give me a good chance of obtaining employment.”

Fast-forward to today, and Chris is now training for a job he can be proud of in an industry with the job security he is seeking at the tail end of his career. He completed the first stage of his training, culminating with a three-week vocational placement in an aged care facility.

“It’s quite difficult to change careers when you’re older, but getting qualified to enter an industry dedicated to staff will give me a better chance of employment.”  

Nursing is a complete change in Chris's career direction after many years of working in various trade, educational, administrative, and managerial roles.

“I have a dual trade qualification, a degree in vocational education and training, a diploma in management, and certificates in workplace assessments, so I have a lot of life and study experience – but this is completely different, and I enjoy learning things that are new to me.”

Deciding to become a nurse, Chris enrolled to study for the Diploma in Nursing (HLT54121) at TAFE Queensland.

Chis is using Fee-Free TAFE funding to study for his career in caring, which is part of the Queensland Government's Good People. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032.

It aims to connect, educate, and attract the people needed to meet the state's workforce demand in existing and new industry sectors and support continued economic growth.

With approximately 37,000 Fee-Free TAFE and vocational education and training places available in 2024, the program will support Queenslanders to skill up to meet the state's current and future workforce needs by enabling them to complete selected qualifications at no or low cost.

“I was prepared to pay for the course before enrolling with Fee-Free help, and I’m delighted that the Queensland Government has given me this fantastic opportunity.”

“I’ve used the money I’ve saved to buy uniforms and equipment and travel to and from campus without putting myself or my family under financial strain,” he explained.

Studying at TAFE Queensland’s Loganlea Campus sees Chris training in the hospital-grade simulated wards, using medical equipment, and providing the perfect learning environment under the guidance of industry-experienced teachers.

"The modern facilities provide practical hands-on training that will prepare me for the real-world challenges of my placements and the nursing profession," he explained.

“The balance of theory and hands-on learning is amazing, and implementing what we learn in the classroom in the nursing labs is a wonderful way to learn.”

“The beds, simulated patients, and medical equipment all give us knowledge and understanding of nursing in a hospital setting,” she said.

Looking ahead, Chris can see that his nursing career is taking him to work in aged care, with his TAFE Queensland diploma equipping him with knowledge, skills, confidence and determination to become the best nurse possible.

“I’d be happy to work in an aged care facility to supplement my income in semi-retirement. A nursing qualification will make me more employable throughout Australia, and I’m also open to further study into specialist areas of nursing,” concluded Chris.