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Barsha arrived in 2008 from Bangladesh as a refugee, looking forward to the fresh start that a new life in Australia promised. At 30 years old, she thought she would be too old to start studying and start a new career in Childcare. But she soon found herself being inspired by older women in Australia who had kids and were able to have a career of their own too. Barsha enrolled in the Child Care Certificate course and has not looked back! She was offered a job during her work placement as she made such a great impression. In fact, 7 out of 8 of Barsha’s classmates were offered jobs during their work placement. After being there for less than a year, Barsha was awarded the ‘Educator of the Year’ award. Barsha says ‘Macquarie Community College is the best place if you want to study and make a career in Child Care. MCC supports women very well to build their careers. Child care is a huge industry where there’s lots of opportunities and they need more people. Now’s the best time to start – you’re never too old or young’.

“I tell my students that looking after a person who’s in their last stage of life is one of the most important jobs in the world,” says Heather, Community Services Lead Trainer at Macquarie Community College. “Some of these people have fought for Australia, and all of them have helped build and contribute to this country. It’s very satisfying to make a difference in their lives.”   Heather’s no-nonsense style, her directness in communicating, makes her a popular trainer of Aged or Disability Care courses. Without mincing words, she gives her students a complete picture of their client’s needs and that there are more than just physical and technical aspects to caring. 

“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.