Bailee on course to join nurse mum
NURSING has become a family affair for Bailee and Kate Willson.
Kate, 40, a mother of seven from South Geelong, completed her diploma of nursing last year with The Gordon.
She has now started the graduate program at St John of God Hospital.
Kate went into nursing after working as a teacher’s aide and being a stay-at-home mum.
And now daughter Bailee, 20, is following in her foot- steps, having started studying nursing — one of the new free TAFE courses — at The Gordon.
“It’s a great time to get into nursing with free TAFE,” Bailee said.
“And I’m super lucky. Mum has passed on all her books and I have someone to turn to for support and encouragement.”
More than 600 students have enrolled in free TAFE courses at The Gordon, a jump of 28 per cent compared with those courses at the same time last year.
The State Government’s free TAFE program is making 30 priority TAFE courses and 20 pre-apprenticeship courses tuition fee-free from this year.
“Free TAFE will make it easier for Geelong students to get the training they need to get jobs across a range of industries that are crying out for more skilled workers,” Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney said yesterday.
Ms Tierney also announced a new partnership between the State Government, The Gordon Institute and Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food Project, to boost healthy eating habits across the community.
It is the first time anywhere in the nation that the project will be embedded into a TAFE environment.
The State Government will provide $1.7 million from its Workforce Training Innovation Fund to help fund the program.
The project will involve 18 cookery and hospitality apprentices and trainees and deliver courses that give people skills and knowledge to buy fresh food and turn it into tasty and healthy meals.