Blog

“Find something that gives you hope for the future, then find people who will sit with you, guide you, and help you. We need help in the right way. I found this at Macquarie Community College, and it made all the difference.” The answer to improving everything in a new country, Ayana has found, is study. Correction: the right kind of study. Ayana was even offered a job during her work placement – before she graduated! Nowadays, Ayana is a successful worker in the Aged Care industry who enjoys heart-warming interactions with clients every day. However, Aged Care is a different industry from the one Ayana thought she’d be working in when she first migrated to Australia from Ethiopia.

“I want migrant women to know that they should not stop going after their dreams,” says Olga. Her career in Aged Care fits perfectly with her personal interests and love for people, and her flexible work hours fit neatly with her responsibilities to her family of five. Added to this, both work and training have introduced her to people from diverse cultures, giving her lifelong friends and a supportive community. SKILLS4You, a new program launched last month by Macquarie Community College, offers a program designed for migrant women wanting to work in aged care, disability care and child care.

Facing many disadvantages, Noura was able to find a new path to empowerment and employment through Macquarie Community College. Noura is now in high demand as a care worker, with several employers offering her work. SKILLS4You is a new program for migrant women to help people like Noura get into careers in Aged Care, Disability Care and Child Care - industries in high demand of workers. This new fee-free program for eligible students provides wrap around support services combined with formal training in English language, job readiness and formal qualification training.

The recent results from the 2021 National Student Outcomes Survey, show great employment outcomes and satisfaction reported by graduates of Macquarie Community College, especially during a year of constant disruption and adaptation due to COVID. Our students have received training that was of benefit to their employment and have overwhelmingly felt supported and satisfied as they transitioned to online learning.

International Women’s Day is always a good day to reflect on the work we do here at Macquarie Community College and how it empowers women to reach their potential. At MCC the majority of our students, staff and directors are women. We learn, work and connect with women as a strong point.

Macquarie Community College is pleased to announce the launch of its SKILLS4You program, specially designed to train and support migrant women seeking careers in the care sector. SKILLS4You is tailored to increase opportunities for migrant women to gain skills for life and work in Australia, increasing their participation in employment pathways and connecting them with others in their local communities.

The NSW Department of Education has recognised Macquarie Community College as a High Performing Provider for Smart and Skilled. The College has been delivering high quality vocational education and training for more than 70 years and has been contracted under the NSW Government’s Smart and Skilled program since 2015. This endorsement indicates that we are adopting best practices as outlined in the NSW quality framework and have scored highly in student outcomes surveys that measure course completion rates, employment related outcomes and student satisfaction.

After a couple of years of constant change and adaptation, we encourage you to set some New Year's Resolutions this year to help you do something for yourself, get into a positive mindset, grow your skills and change your career.

Congratulations to Natalie who recently won Community Advocate of the Year at the Blacktown City Council's International Day of People with Disability Awards. Natalie, who is profoundly deaf, continues to inspire her clients after graduating from MCC with a CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support specialising in Ageing and Disability.

This week we held an event for our Teaching Excellence Awards, Anniversary Awards and Staff Excellence Awards. We celebrated the amazing efforts that our teachers and staff have gone to this year, in order to bring quality training to our students in yet another year of constant change. Congratulations to all our finalists, award winners and anniversary award recipients!