ACCESS to Success: The Journey of Ruby Gleeson

Who ever said that a TAFE qualification isn’t as valuable as a university degree?

Right now, this is one of the biggest misconceptions in Australia regarding future employment. Not only is this unjustified, but also untrue.  

In fact, 90% of the highest growth rate jobs in the next five years only need a VET qualification.

A big advocate for TAFE is recent graduate Ruby Gleeson (2021), who is currently completing her Diploma in Emergency Healthcare full-time at TAFE.

As one of Australia’s largest and fastest growing industries, Ruby is excited to complete her course and work within the healthcare and patient transport system field.

“So far, I’ve really been enjoying my course. I love working with people, helping them and hearing their stories, so I think it will be a very rewarding career path for me.”, said Ruby.

“I also like that I don’t have to always be sitting at a desk. As part of the course, we are involved in several workshops and also complete a clinical placement. This hands-on experience gives me the tools and skills needed to thrive in my career.”

In Years 11 and 12, Ruby went down the ACCESS pathway, as opposed to completing her ATAR.

The ACCESS pathway provides two additional opportunities to students through Workplace Learning and VET programs.

This was the perfect foundation for Ruby. 

“ACCESS was most definitely the right fit for me. I knew that for my career choice, I didn’t necessarily need to complete ATAR.”, said Ruby.

“It was very practical and suited my style of learning. It made me excited to come to school and excited to think about the future. The focus wasn’t so much on grades and prerequisites, but more so on practical outcomes.”