Claudia Haines has the future in her sights, but it was not what she originally imagined.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Having completed her HSC last year, the 17-year-old intends to take her love of helping people to the next level, embarking on a nursing diploma in February.
Claudia was one of many future students to attend enrolment week at TAFE on Tuesday, ahead of this year’s academic kick-off.
But Claudia said nursing had not been her first career choice.
If it was not such a male-dominated industry, she said she would have preferred to study construction.
The self-proclaimed tomboy said she was no stranger to getting her hands dirty, having grown up on a farm north of Wagga.
“I was always out helping Nan and Pop on the farm,” Claudia said. “There’s always a lot of handymen around but I wanted to show people that girls can build too.”
In high school, the budding AFL player said she studied timber work and construction, but had found it challenging to break into the industry for an apprenticeship when she completed high school.
“I’m keeping it as a hobby,” Claudia said. “That way I wont get sick of it.”
I like being able to help people.
- Claudia Haines
When the 17-year-old heard about a new indigenous nursing course, she jumped at the opportunity.
“All my friends tend to come to me for advice,” Claudia said. “And I like being able to help people.”
She said the course would be a starting block and a platform for her to work up to a registered nursing position.
The young Wagga woman will this year join a cohort of fresh students from a variety of ages and backgrounds, studying short courses, certificates, diplomas and workshops across the year.
A growing number of courses and opportunities were showcased on TAFE Tuesday, with teachers and staff available to talk with prospective students and answer any questions.
TAFE’s regional general manager Belinda Mackinnon said it was expecting enrolment numbers to rise on 2017 numbers, with a notable increase in the institution’s popularity.
It comes after more than 20,000 TAFE students, across the Riverina, received diplomas and certificates across a broad range of subjects in December last year.
Ms Mackinnon said enrolments would remain open as long as positions were available on courses.
TAFE’s Wagga campus is extending its hours this week, with doors open on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
