Class Action A Wise Decision

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday January 12, 2008

Margot Date

Studying will boost your knowledge - and your job prospects, writes Margot Date.

It's a new year and if you've resolved to lift your career out of its current doldrums, education may be the key to a rewarding future.

Australians are keen to study, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics's education and work survey, released last month. It found that nearly 2.5 million people - or 18 per cent of all Australians aged between 15 and 64 - were enrolled in a course of study in May last year.

Aside from the 725,900 students at schools, there were 928,800 people enrolled at higher education institutions and 518,700 studying at TAFEs.

Another 315,400 Australians were enrolled at other institutions. The bureau reported that the proportion of people with a non-school qualification increased from 40 per cent in May 1997 to 53 per cent last May.

Neil Hamilton, general manager of recruiters Hamilton, James & Bruce, says a potential employee who has recently undertaken study is someone who has demonstrated their willingness to learn and explore other opportunities.

"This person will be a little bit more adaptable, a little more worldly," he says. "It is an indicator of their ability, they want to listen, they want to learn."

Hamilton says that even those employees who have been with one organisation for a long time can benefit from some education. It may improve their ability to implement new technology, enhance their time-management skills and increase their self-esteem, he says.

One of the main providers of vocational training and education in NSW is TAFE (Technical And Further Education).

Kim Fillingham, the general manager of TAFE Business in NSW, says there is the same proportion - 28 per cent - of students aged 40 and over as there is school students and recent school leavers. The other 44 per cent are in the 20-39 age group. Many of them are enhancing their career or switching careers, he says. Some are gaining skills beyond a degree to secure a job.

"TAFE has strong links to industry and each year in TAFE we enrol about 30,000 who have already got a university degree," Fillingham says.

While some students attend TAFE as part of a formal apprenticeship or traineeship, others are studying a subject that inspires them to change careers. Others still are working away from major centres or overseas and use the TAFE distance education option, the Open Training and Education Network.

"The good thing about OTEN is you can enrol at any time of the year," Fillingham says. "You can study at your own pace."

Julie Robinson, a senior counsellor, says TAFE students are not looking for a quick fix but for thorough training and knowledge. Sometimes they are immigrants who are translating their overseas qualifications so they can work in Australia. At other times it is an idea that a student has been brewing for some time.

"I see a lot of people walk in the door and say, 'I've been thinking of doing this for years.' It just amazes me how often this happens and I think about the years they have lost. One of the discoveries is how flexible it is," Robinson says.

Elizabeth Varley, the managing director of Challenge Consulting, says there is obvious training that will equip someone for a specific role and then there is something more subtle - the type of training that is about personal development.

"Employers look for practical can-do skills that yield results and productivity," she says.

Some employers will assist an employee to undertake postgraduate study, others provide on-the-job training to lift technical skills, to help an employer get "more bang for their buck".

The TAFE NSW Sydney Institute will be open for enrolments between noon and 7pm on February 1 and 4.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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