Women Graduate To Aged Care Workforce

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday November 17, 2007

By ILSA CUNNINGHAM

THREE newly employed women now look forward to waking up each morning, thanks to a training program for disadvantaged people at Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre.

The trio recently acquired employment as nursing home carers after completing a 10-week certificate course in aged care work at the centre.

They were among a graduation class of 15 presented with their certificates by Wollongong City Council Deputy Lord Mayor Kiril Jonovski yesterday.

Securing a job was a big relief for some of the women, who had been unemployed for more than 10 years.

Lorna Moore left a job behind a bar 10 years ago to start a family and has been home-bound ever since. The course had given her self-esteem a huge boost.

"You lose a lot of confidence when you're used to being a mum. The course has brought me straight out of my shell," she said.

Jaime Stewart's last job was 13 years ago in a supermarket.

Four children, a TAFE hospitality course and numerous knockbacks later, she settled on the aged care course on advice from friends already in the industry.

It was the best decision the 30-year-old could have made, as she is now a proud employee of William Beach Gardens in Kanahooka.

For recent school graduate Jessica Brown, the desire to work in aged care ran strongly, and she has been happily working at the Palms Nursing Home in Kirrawee for three months.

Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre manager and community development worker Cherie Rien said the course provided learning in a friendly environment.

"The barriers to accessing normal education is daunting.

"This (course) takes away that barrier," Ms Rien said.

The project was an initiative of the Wollongong City Council, NSW Department of Education and Training and the Wesley Vocational Institute to combat unemployment in Wollongong's southern suburbs.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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