When drought forced Rosie to rethink her future, the long-time teacher and farmer decided it was time for a career change. Studying aged care helped her turn uncertainty into a new direction.

In her previous life, Rosie was a school teacher who’d enjoyed a long and rewarding career helping young people develop the skills and knowledge they would carry into adult life.

But during the drought, when things were looking increasingly grim on the family farm and she was forced to sell her cattle, Rosie decided it was time for a change. She retired from teaching and enrolled in the Certificate III in Individual Support – Ageing Specialisation at CCNI's Inverell campus.

Rosie’s decision to study aged care had been influenced by her experience with aged care staff when her father was living in a nursing home in Lismore. She remembers how lovely the staff were and the difference they made to the residents.

Rosie is one of a growing group of skilled workers who are switching careers after years spent working in the industry they originally trained for. She chose Community College for her training because they offered a six-month course and she felt this was a good timeframe to complete her studies and gain employment, rather than waiting 12 months.

The interaction with other students and her trainer became one of the highlights of the experience, with Rosie finding that face-to-face learning brought the course to life.

“I really enjoyed my study. Having been a teacher it was so nice to be on the other side and let somebody else do all the organising, thinking and planning. I also really enjoyed the group that I was with. I got to know some lovely people and made some lasting friendships.”

Her training gave Rosie a strong grounding for the workplace, combining aged care theory with practical skills and work placement in a local aged care facility.

Community College trainer Ean Muhs says the college prides itself on the delivery of face-to-face training to people who may be experiencing barriers to their learning.

“Trying to get older people to learn online or learn from a textbook can be hard so we run our classes face-to-face to give students the opportunity to ask questions and to interact with other students in a classroom which is something they may not have done for a very long time. Community College trainers are industry employed and this allows them to bring real world experience to the classroom, putting student learning into the context of a real-life situation. It’s very hands-on.”

For Rosie, changing direction has already led somewhere new. She is now working as a carer at a local aged care facility in Inverell.

Her advice to anyone thinking about gaining new skills or changing careers is simple: go for it.