Lived Experience Forum

[tyme]

What an interesting Cert! Thanks for sharing @Judi9877 . I guess it would be so helpful to support the elderly. 

If you have a bach of education, does that mean you can teach?

[Jasper_123]

Hi @Judi9877 , my brother is doing the leisure and health cert and works in aged care! How are you finding it? 

[HelloKitty1981]

@Judi9877  aww thank you. I really want to get in and finish the course as I have several modules I have already completed with the mental health council. I find with TAFE it really comes down to the teacher  especially when it comes to cert 4 level and above how well you do in the courses.

Some teachers are better than others. I was also disappointed we don't get to do any workplacements at all in the level 4, yet I did in the level 3 with a different company and most of the class went on to perm jobs from those workplacements.

[HelloKitty1981]

@MermaidHair  yes I want to do that course too but its not run often face to face through TAFE and not in my area atleast. I find being in a classroom more appealing than doing zoom especially for role plays. A lot of places are set aside for those already working in the industry, so I am slowly ticking off the qualifications. 

I did find in industry they want to pidgeon you into just support workers, peer workers or mental health workers and not so much someone who has the experience and knowledge to overlap, and this was from the HR of a well known mental health company at an annual recruitment drive.

Hence I don't want to be stuck only in one position, I want to be able to be flexible and work in various positions for my long term employability. 

[HelloKitty1981]

@MermaidHair its quite diffcult to juggle all those essential things and stay on track with study. It takes a lot out of you. I wish you well with everything.  The financial cost alone to do some of these qualications is just crazy.

[Judi9877]

Hi @Jasper_123 @HelloKitty1981 @tyme @MermaidHair @Leesu and everyone here.

@Jasper_123 I’m at the end of my leisure and health course with the 120 hours of practical placement to complete at an aged care facility as of next week. I’ve still got a few assessments to do for Tafe - some theory questions for several subjects- and then there’s the assessments that have to be completed whilst in the actual workplace in order to get the qualification. I’m a little nervous about doing Prac but my Tafe teacher has visited the aged care facility with a previous student and believes the facility will suit me and my needs which is a positive for me. I’m doing my placement with another student from my class so at least I won’t be alone and will have someone else to talk to. It’s 6 weeks so pretty long but I should be okay. How does your brother like the job in aged care?

@tyme I never completed my teaching degree as I fell sick with mental illness and ended up transferring into a Bachelor of Arts and majored in sociology and public policy. Again, I never really put the degree to good use due to my mental health causing me issues with employment but it did come in handy when I was able to work as a electoral officer in several federal elections so not a total waste. I also realised part way through my teaching degree that I didn’t want to be a glorified babysitter and struggled with having 25 kids in my face at all times on my teaching rounds so I quit halfway through my 3rd year into the course. I think I’ve found the right course for me now and I want to work in aged care as I like being around older people so hopefully, my placement works out and things go okay for me. I’m also thinking about doing another Tafe course to be a PCA in aged care so I have other employment options open to me in case I can’t get a job in leisure and health. There’s a big shortfall of people wanting to be PCAs in aged care so that’s why I’m considering the course with the hope of getting employment sooner rather than later. The course is only 6 months long and I know I’ll be able to complete it as I’ve just done my leisure and health course and that was 12 months so 6 months should be easy. Again, I’m just keeping my options open. 

@HelloKitty1981 I know with the Cert IV in mental health that part of becoming qualified is to do 80 hours of practical placement - at least in Victoria you have to - as my housemate struggled to find placement and was made to complete it in a high school as the Tafe struggled to find a suitable workplace for her to complete it. The Tafe didn’t have many employer contacts which made it extra hard finding an organisation willing to take her on, with most places only wanting to take Diploma students instead. Maybe see what your education provider has to say about this as part of your course? 

Take care!

Judi9877