Employers turn to TAFE Queensland for skilled staff

According to General Manager of Dignified Home Care Adam Stiller, the in-home aged care and disability service previously had trouble finding appropriate staff — until they joined forces with TAFE Queensland.

“We struggled to find suitable staff with the relevant skills and values through regular employment avenues such as SEEK; so I asked my staff for suggestions and they highlighted TAFE Queensland as having a great reputation in the industry,” he said.

“TAFE Queensland connected me with their Employment Officer, David Bott and over the last six months we have already employed 10 nursing students in Disability Support Worker roles.”

Mr Stiller confessed that before working with TAFE Queensland he always thought of university as the best pathway to employment.

“Since working with TAFE Queensland and witnessing first-hand the student’s applied skills and the quality of trainers and facilities, I’m truly converted to now understanding the exceptional value of Vocational Education and Training as a strong career pathway,” he said.

Earlier this year Dignified Home Care experienced a rise in enquiries for their services and TAFE Queensland enabled this growth by providing reliable and skilled staff in a fast timely manner when required.

Mr Stiller said the partnership with TAFE Queensland allowed the business to grow and facilitated the increase of care services across the Gold Coast community.

“The unique employment service offered by TAFE Queensland has met the organisation's needs by identifying students with the required skills and values for the job."

“The pre-vetting of applications saves us a huge amount of time and also provides students with the opportunity to move into employment relevant to their course,” he said.

TAFE Queensland General Manager on the Gold Coast, Karen Dickinson said the organisation has experience working closely with industries and is in an excellent position to match up students with appropriate employers.

“Our vocational trainers work closely with industry to ensure courses meet current and future employment demands, making our students work ready and giving them a competitive advantage over their uni-taught peers,” she said.

“We inject real world, industry-relevant learning experiences to ensure our students have the confidence, capabilities and the hands-on skills employers are looking for.”

“Employers look to TAFE Queensland because of our students’ suitability in skills, experience and ability to jump right in and get the job done.’’

Find out how TAFE Queensland’s Employment Officers can help your business connect with job-ready graduates in your industry.