A Mother's Quest for a Fulfilling Career

TAFE Queensland’s Certificate IV in Cyber Security (22603VIC) student, Tarscha Schulz, has dedicated two decades of her life to the hospitality industry. However, as a single mother to two sons, she realised that she not only desired a career change but also yearned to spend quality time with her children on weekends, which wasn’t an option working in the hospitality industry.

Motivated by this, Tarscha began exploring opportunities in the IT sector. While browsing Facebook, she stumbled upon a cyber security course that caught her attention. She delved into research and discovered an inexpensive online course, but unfortunately, it lacked structure and proved to be quite challenging. Soon after, she received a TAFE Queensland pamphlet in the mail, which introduced her to the Certificate IV in Cyber Security (22603VIC) and the government subsidy available. The subsidy provided Tarscha with the opportunity to pursue the course, prompting her to submit her application the following day.

“I aspired to find a fulfilling and stimulating job that would align with my responsibilities as a parent and enable me to support my family comfortably,” Tarscha said.

Tarscha is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to immerse herself into the industry and explore the various pathways it offers.

“I’m a single mum, who is trying to do right by her kids as well as support us all properly. The hardest thing is juggling two jobs, TAFE, home study and my kids,” she said.

“This was an amazing opportunity for me and I am considering completing further study to obtain a greater chance of securing a job but this will only be possible if the subsidy continues next year.”

Tarscha's class was visited by a cyber security company, and as a result, she has been offered a job opportunity with the company.