Blog

Recently we expanded our operations with a new campus, in the culturally diverse, rapidly changing suburb of Epping. The opening ceremony was officiated by Donna Davis, Member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales. Also present was David Collins PSM with senior staff of NSW State Training, Board members of Macquarie Community College, local service providers, staff and local students.

Results from The National Student Outcomes Survey are out! It revealed that Macquarie Community College is helping more Australians find employment, while meeting an unprecedented workforce shortage across multiple sectors, through its tailored training programs. The 2022 National Student Outcomes Survey was conducted by NCVER into VET graduate outcomes and satisfaction. It highlighted the success of the College in: - Improving employment outcomes for students - Increasing student satisfaction with training. The NSW Department of Education continues to recognise Macquarie Community College as a high performing provider.

We are excited to announce that we will be opening an additional new campus in Epping to cater for the growth of the College and our School, Gateway Community High.  The new site in Epping is just a 5-minute drive from our existing Carlingford campus and is on Level 3 of a modern low-rise building on the corner of Carlingford Road and Rawson Street at Epping.

The United Nation’s theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality". The sad reality is that there is a significant “digital divide” when it comes to those that have access to the internet, devices and technology. Whilst the divide affects all generations and communities, the gap disproportionately affects women & girls.

Pam Kaur Sunner completed a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care at Macquarie Community College. Pam came to Australia from Punjab, India in 1990 with her family. Pam took on a number of caring roles within her family including, her elderly parents and children of family members as well as her own children. After she commenced her Diploma at Macquarie Community College, she also endured the loss of two close family members but resolved to continue studying. Pam successfully completed her Diploma and has gone on to continue to work in childcare as a Diploma-trained educator.

As the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector continues to face an unprecedented workforce shortage, organisations such as Macquarie Community College are stepping up to the plate to prepare and deploy a skilled workforce in the ECEC sector. From its most recent cohort of graduates, 85% of the students enrolled in the course have gone on to gain employment in various related positions. To celebrate the success of Macquarie Community College’s Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, we spoke to graduates Palakshi and Payal on their experiences in the course and what they’re up to now.

We welcome 2023 with much excitement as we return to some kind of norm. There is something about starting a new year that encourages us to pause and reflect on how we can improve ourselves. Most of us will make that annual new year's resolution. Whether it's "exercise more", "change careers", and "learn new things", here are some tips on how to keep those plans in place and follow through your resolutions for 2023.

Despite experiencing significant barriers to study and enter the workforce, Sue Bryant's team of Child Care Trainers continue to deliver outstanding results from their students. “Nine out of ten students from the most recent graduating class were offered employment, with over 50 percent establishing themselves in full or part time work before they’d even finished the course”, notes Sue. Macquarie Community College have developed a new program called SKILLS4You to further bridge the gap and support learners through a holistic program. Each individual is assessed and a tailored plan developed based on their current learning and employment readiness.

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’.

“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.