Guyra’s growing its own

Guyra MPS is helping a forward-thinking student leave school with a nationally-recognised nursing qualification and a few dollars in her pocket next year, thanks to a unique initiative available through Hunter New England Health.

A local Year 11 high school student has signed up for the Certificate III in Aged Care traineeship being offered as a joint venture with Hunter New England Health, TAFE and the Department of Education and Training.

Adina Taylor from Guyra Central High School is the first student to undertake this traineeship opportunity in the Guyra area.

This course of study will be completed as part of her senior school studies and will counts as credit towards her final Higher School Certificate (HSC) result.

Guyra Health Service Manager Tessa Capsanis said the certificate allows students to complete their HSC at the same time as earning an income and qualifications for work.

"Adina will be learning ‘on the job’ by working alongside experienced nurses in the hospital for at least 100 days spread over the next two years, in addition to regular videolink lessons with an Armidale TAFE aged care nursing teacher," Mrs Capsanis said.

"The Certificate III in Aged Care provides the student with an immediate qualification for work, which is a great head start on other school leavers. It can also be used as a stepping stone into other nursing careers such as Enrolled Nursing which is also conducted through TAFE, or a university based Registered Nursing degree.

"The health service also benefits from this Trainee VET (Vocational Education Training) program, with students providing additional staff on the wards to support nursing staff.

"We hope this program will attract more young people who want to train in the local area and stay here after they finish school, boosting the number of local nurses.

"This is the first year we have been involved in the program, and are very excited that Adina will discover how fulfilling and rewarding a career in nursing can be," Mrs Capsanis said.

Adina started in Guyra MPS this week and has been busy meeting the residents and staff.