RELATED: VCAL views need to change
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Thanks to her VCAL studies, Jordyn Arundell, 17, is able to earn more money at her part-time job.
The 17-year-old completed food handling and responsible service of alcohol certificates through her South West TAFE studies.
“I felt like the employer felt I was more competent,” Jordyn said. “I applied for the dishwasher job but because I had those certificates he let me work front of house.”
Jordyn said she was “getting more out of” VCAL at TAFE than school and there was less pressure. She said there were misconceptions about VCAL and there needed to be greater awareness.
Jordyn said her elderly nana was concerned she had dropped out of school. “Nana had to leave school at 14 but she was always taught you have to finish school if you want go somewhere. She thought because I wasn’t in mainstream school I wasn’t doing anything.
“Once I explained to her that I was, that I liked it better and I got to do more hands-on work and I get certificates through it, she said ‘oh that’s really good’ and I was like ‘yeah it is,” Jordyn said.