March 20, 2023

Southern Highlands and Goulburn students get a taste for a career in health care

UOW Southern Highlands and Tafe NSW Moss Vale host inaugural Nursing Taster Day

High school students from the Southern Highlands and Goulburn experienced first-hand what it is like working in the health care sector at the inaugural Nursing Taster Day held at the University of Wollongong (UOW) Southern Highlands and co-located TAFE NSW Moss Vale.

Fifty students from Bowral High, Moss Vale High, Chevalier College and Mulwaree High came to the campus for information about careers in health care, to meet with local industry representatives and participate in hands-on practical activities in TAFE Moss Vale’s health care clinical laboratory. 

Under the direction of TAFE NSW teachers, current nursing students from UOW’s Shoalhaven and Wollongong campuses came up for the day to guide the students through practical skills such as donning and doffing protective wear, taking blood pressure, checking vital signs, sanitation and bed-side care utilising the laboratory’s state-of-the-art clinical equipment.

UOW Southern Highlands campus manager Stephen Lowe said the day was the result of collaboration with TAFE NSW, local health care providers and the Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program within Training Services NSW.

Neil Bessant from RIEP said: “Being able to provide opportunities for students to gain meaningful insights, identify pathways into future jobs and connect with local employers is key to filling the skills gaps we face in our future workforce. The RIEP program is about creating connections for employers with schools across all sectors to provide ongoing relationships.”

Industry representatives attending the day were from Bowral and District Hospital, Southern Highlands Private Hospital, Harbison Care and Disability Trust.

TAFE Services Coordinator Michelle Pontello said: “It was great to have support from the dedicated teaching staff from Moss Vale, Shellharbour and Wollongong TAFE campuses be a part of the student experience. We had representatives from nursing, health and well-being, aged-care and dental therapy.”

Mulwaree High School teacher Hannah Boyers said: “The students really engaged with the hands-on experiences in the lab. They even got to take home teeth moulds that they made during the dental therapy workshop.”

Chevalier College Careers Advisor Donna Murchie said that the students, as well as enjoying the practical demonstrations, “spent a lot of time talking to industry representatives, to find out the full range of career opportunities for them locally”. 

UOW Southern Highlands and TAFE NSW are planning further experiential days on the Moss Vale campus for high school students. For further information contact Stephen Lowe (slowe@uow.edu.au) or Michelle Pontello (michelle.pontello4@tafensw.edu.au).