Advanced Diploma of Event Management
She’s only young, but Rachelle Boyle from South Australia has already gained impressive experience in her chosen career.
Rachelle is thrilled with her new role as Event Planning Coordinator (Administration and Small Events) at the Adelaide Convention Centre, which she landed soon after graduating with her Advanced Diploma of Event Management from TAFE SA.
Before that, Rachelle studied while working at All Occasions Group, a specialist in local, national and international events. And she completed other exciting intern opportunities, including working on a live event at Adelaide Fashion Festival.
Rachelle’s determination and hard work have paid off in other ways also, including winning the 2017 Vocational Student of the Year Award at the Australian Training Awards.
‘Through vocational education and training (VET) at TAFE I learned the basics I needed to enter the workforce,’ says Rachelle. ‘As an intern, I learned direct from those in the events industry and established many contacts while studying. This was valuable when transitioning into the workforce and I immediately landed a great position.’
Studying and working at the same time was challenging, but not impossible for Rachelle. ‘I focused on what I wanted to achieve and set realistic goals to help me get through one assignment at a time,’ says Rachelle. ‘The good thing about studying a VET qualification through TAFE is that the lecturers are always there to help and to point you to opportunities. It helped me a lot.’
Event managing is inspiring for Rachelle because every day is a new day and she gets to exercise her creative and organisational skills.
‘I have an amazing career that lets me do something different every day. I began applying the practical skills I learned at TAFE as soon as I entered the workforce. VET is a hands-on way to learn,’ says Rachelle. ‘I already knew how to develop a run sheet and timing schedules, for example. I was confident.’
‘Some people say university study is more prestigious than TAFE,’ say Rachelle, ‘but there’s no doubt that VET is a high-quality level of learning. It’s a valuable method of study and a great pathway to a career.’
As an Australian VET Alumni member, Rachelle is keen to spread the word about the value of VET: ‘I want to speak to as many people as I can, to remove the stigma and provide knowledge about and promote the VET sector.’
Rachelle is also keen to let potential students know how supportive the VET environment is. ‘It’s something students should take advantage,’ says Rachelle. ‘The lecturers do everything they can to help.’
To find out more about how you can gain real skills for a real career through a VET qualification, visit http://www.myskills.gov.au/