Ten courageous local women, who have done it tough, recently jumped at the chance to take part in a free TAFE course, with the support of Bonnie’s and our industry partners, the Liverpool Women’s Health Centre and the Liverpool Women’s Resource Centre.

The seven-week Introduction to Community Services course was offered to clients of our three services and delivered by the Outreach Department of TAFE NSW Ultimo. More than 20 people expressed interest in taking part, with 10 women going on to cross the finish line – completing their assessment and obtaining a Statement of Attainment from TAFE.  One student showed her determination by coming back to class with her baby almost immediately after giving birth!

For many of these women, who have experienced significantly challenging life circumstances, engaging with formal education was a very brave thing to do. But they did it! TAFE Outreach Teachers, Paula Abood and Cathy Tribe, created a safe and supportive learning environment for the students. Bonnie’s provided child care, refreshments and transport.

Every single student in the class blossomed through their participation in the course; with noticeable growth in self-confidence and a greater sense of possibilities for their futures, as well as building supportive peer relationships.

The partnership has been a great example of how women’s services can work effectively with skilled and compassionate TAFE NSW Outreach Teachers, for the benefit of women whose challenging life circumstances, including domestic and family violence, can so often preclude them from easily accessing education and career development opportunities.

As a result of the success of this course, TAFE NSW are now planning to again partner with our three agencies in 2018 to offer further outreach studies for interested local women!

Did you know?

If you are experiencing, or have experienced, domestic or family violence, you may qualify for a Smart and Skilled Fee-Free scholarship for TAFE NSW courses. To meet eligibility requirements, students will need to provide a letter of recommendation from a domestic and family violence service, refuge or other support agency. Contact Training Services NSW Customer Support Centre on 1300 772 104 or email smartandskilled.enquiries@industry.nsw.gov.au for more information. To explore TAFE Courses that you might be interested in doing, see here:  www.tafensw.edu.au/courses

Written by Catherine

A whiteboard message created by the daughter of one of our recent TAFE course participants – the daughter came to the TAFE Course Graduation Ceremony to celebrate her mum’s achievement!