NEW COURSE MAKING LEGAL EAGLES
Students in the TAFE Gold Coast Diploma of Legal Services program are finding that the course can open doors to employment pathways in the industry
STARTING a new legal service course and realising that you have a job five weeks into your studies has been an exciting journey for a number of TAFE Queensland Gold Coast legal students.
Employers in the legal industry are seeking suitably qualified workers who can interact within an increasingly complex legal environment.
Studying the six-month Diploma of Legal Services at TAFE has opened doors for students, Erin Saunders and Shiv Kumar, who both secured employment on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane five weeks after
starting the course.
“I really enjoy having a job in the legal industry and studying the Diploma of Legal Services,” said Ms Saunders, now working for a property law firm.
“The collaboration with everyone in the evening classes is an excellent and practical way to understand the course content and then apply it in my role.
“This has given me so much confidence and I don’t feel intimidated by things like legal terms.
“Our assessments are all client-focused and the learning applications are exact examples that I deal with in the workplace on a daily basis.”
The Diploma of Legal
Services is a job-ready, practical training program for anyone looking to pursue a career in any avenue of the legal industry.
Principal of Bostock and Frazer Lawyers, Sandra Bostock, said the fact Ms Saunders had already enrolled and started studying the Diploma of Legal Services made her a strong contender for the job.
Working three days a week as a legal clerk at Brisbane firm Robertson O’Gorman, Mr Kumar is excited at his prospects in the legal services industry while continuing his studies until graduation in July.
“I chose to study the Diploma of Legal Services as an initial pathway in the hopes of pursuing a career as a solicitor,” said Mr Kumar.
“After commencing my studies, I realised there is a lot more to learn about the legal industry than envisioned.
“The outcome of a job as a junior law clerk at a criminal and civil firm was an unexpected surprise.”
Other students in the course have also gained interviews for jobs while still studying.
“A practical element of the course requires students to explore vacancies in the legal industry and assess the skills they have and what they need to develop,” said Karen Dickinson, general manager of TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Region.
“Erin and Shiv not only completed the assessment but on researching the jobs decided to apply for the positions with the hope of getting an interview.
“Employers have faith in the training we offer at TAFE Queensland and the reputation of our organisation equips our students to gain further inroads with their employment applications.”
In addition to the jobs on hand, the Diploma of Legal Studies creates a pathway to other Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice courses.
There’s no shortage of other candidates seeking out this course, among them career changing adults and semi retirees looking for interesting paying jobs.
Younger candidates without a Year 12 Certificate can gain alternative entry to university by studying this course, just one of a range of diplomas available to students.