This year is looking very positive for TAFE Western’s Wellington College, team leader Adam Peckham said.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Peckham said the college has seen an interest increase in already popular courses.
“We’re seeing more engagement with childcare and early childhood education courses. Our construction and automotive courses are always pretty popular but we’ve seen higher levels of interest already this year,” Mr Peckham said.
Mr Peckham said obtaining students can be a hard task.
“Because we’re working with such a small cohort, it can make it hard to get students,” he said.
Mr Peckham said said one of the most steadily growing programs is the basic computer skills course being offered.
“We had quite a demand for it last year, so that’s why it’s being implemented again this year.
“The program can help older residents improve their computer and IT literacy – you know their iPads, laptops, those sorts of things.”
Mr Peckham said Wellington College has had to adapt to some social benefit changes.
“When the criteria to receive socials benefits changed, we did see a small percentage of enrollments drop – so we had to rethink our strategies to accommodate this.”
Mature-age student Raymond West said he saw his Certificate II in automotive service as a great way to improve on his skill-set.
“I decided to come to do a TAFE course because it could lead to a career change,” Mr West said.
“I’ve always said that knowledge is power and I know a lot about a little and a little about a lot.
“That’s why I chose to come,” he said.
Mr Peckham said newer programs being implemented should appeal to the local Aboriginal population.
“We’re running a Certificate II in Aboriginal Languages (Wiradjuri) and Certificates III and IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthcare,” he said.
Both Mr Peckham and Mr West encouraged anybody thinking of attending the college to go for it.
“When it comes down to it we’re here to help people broaden their career choices by giving them more skills to improve their employability,” Mr Peckham said.
“We’ve got really good support services for students here.
“The student engagement officers and Aboriginal student support officers are great,” he said.
The top TAFE Western courses in Wellington for 2016 were Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways, Certificate III in Business Administration, Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation and Certificate II in Business.
