Many of us were faced with the decision of what to do after finishing high school, some of us before we even finished. I’m not sure about you, but I was expecting to go to university and launch my career from there. I gave it a try, but decided it wasn’t for me at the time and instead finished my first qualification at TAFE.
The reason I say this is because so many of us think that university is necessary for us to begin a career, but for me, it didn’t work out that way. My VET qualification was structured, it was practical and it gave me a real insight as to what I was going to actually do when I started my first job.
Since this time, I have had a couple of career pathway changes and developments which led me to working within the VET industry myself. I have been in the industry for more than 11 years and currently work as an Assessment Specialist for Chisholm Online. From my experiences in both studying VET qualifications and working in the industry, I know and understand the many reasons why a VET qualification is so valuable to those wanting to enter the workforce and get the job of their dreams.
Firstly, all VET qualifications are developed and endorsed by industry. The relevant industry decides what you need to learn to be able to do the job. Employees then recognise VET qualifications as a guarantee that a graduate knows what they are doing.
Secondly, all VET qualifications teach you the same thing, no matter where you do it or whether it is delivered online, face to face or blended. This is because the training organisations must be registered in order to deliver these qualifications and are regularly audited to ensure they maintain a level of quality and retain their registration.
The standards that our qualifications must meet require a collection of knowledge and performance evidence to be demonstrated by a student in order for the student to be found competent and gain the qualification. This means that you get the experience of doing the job before you enter the workforce. Some of our Chisholm Online students, in certain courses where work placements are mandatory, are offered jobs during their work placements as their supervisors are so impressed with the practical skills and knowledge they acquire through the course.
In addition to this, your trainers must either be currently working or have recently worked in the industry and their industry knowledge must be current – just another reason why the training you receive will have you job ready. At Chisholm Online, we only employ the best teachers with relevant industry experience to share with their students. For example, Linda Skrgatic is one of our Diploma of Early Childhood Education & Care teachers who brings with her 20 years of industry experience as a child educator and a centre manager.
When you gain a VET qualification, it will be recognised nationally across all other registered training organisations, which means you can apply for credits for the units you have completed when you decide you want to extend your learning.
For me, it was a simple choice, I knew that a VET qualification would be of value to me, as it meant my employer would know that I could do the job. So when you start thinking about how you are going to advance your career, think about what a VET qualification has to offer you.
For more information, have a look at the Chisholm Online VET courses available in Business, Health, Education and Construction.
