DisAbility Work - InserviceTestimonialsA Statement about the New Apprenticeship course from Kate Stockdale, who completed Certificate III & IV of the Community Services - DisAbilities in 2003.
Best of all, the course gave me a passion for working in the disability field and allowed me to apply for and get a job way out side my previous expectations. The Australian Apprenticeships course was perfect for me. I am a very hands on learner and the course kept me interested (partly because of the way information was organised) and because it was not full of stuff you'll never use. In fact I am currently going over stuff with new eyes now that my employment role has changed. Can't thank the teachers enough. This is learning for life.
Peter Murrell - A Life Time of Support Work
My sporting life in particular provided opportunities to develop practical skills and more importantly people skills. As a team member, captain and later coach I learnt only too well how important self esteem and confidence is to individuals and the success of a team. I feel I can speak with some authority about this because I not only represented the NT and QLD in polo cross but subsequent to acquiring a significant brain injury myself, I have represented Australia seven times in disabled cycling events. I continue to use things learnt in sport as my basis for supporting clients in my current employment with Anglicare. For example, I was rewarded just yesterday when I took a client bowling and he got himself from the taxi into the alley, paid for himself and went down to the lane all by himself. When it came time for morning tea I said to him I was not going to order morning tea from the shop - he was. So he went and ordered it himself and got it right. Yes! I can say I taught him that. However, it is the significant contribution to his independence that is important here - not who taught him. A question from another client has always stuck in my mind - he asked, "Do I have to keep trying when you are not here?" My answer of course was, "Yes". I have explained to him that althrough I know what he is capable of, others may not. He must speak up for himself. I decided to do a course at University but when I started this course, I was doing it for the clients benefit not my own. However, once the course got more involved, I thought I can do better for my clients by learning more but this enabled me to build links with other support workers, broarden my thinking and set me on the path for life long learning. Once I complete the Certificate III Community Services (Disability Work). I will be going on to do the Certificate IV and then the Diploma. I have a career path! Ironically if it were not for my accident and resultant head injury, I would not be in this field. I do not judge people on their disability because I recognise that it would handicap them! However, I have just recognised that I did not set goals for myself high enough. When I first enquired about TAFE courses I thought I might be struggling to complete a Certificate II but the Coordinator, Cheryl Schwarz, was more confident in my abilities than I and suggested I begin at the Certificate III level. She was right - I have completed it in six months through a combined program of Recognition of Proir Learning and attending convential classes . My final word to other support workers -
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As an employee working in the DisAbility support field, the Australian Apprenticeships course provided an excellent combination of practical support, structure for discussion and mentoring. This style of learning for me is very effective as the theoretical and the practical are immediately tested out. I found some of the unexpected outcomes were some of the most rewarding. For example the peer support and knowledge sharing among fellow students and colleagues that resulted in healthy discussion on workplace practices and socialisation, I think no one got out unchallenged.
I wish to share with readers some of my privileged experiences as a support worker in the disability field. I began "practicing "for this work the day I was born - life experiences have been just one of my teachers.
