VCAL student Jordyn Arundell, is celebrating gaining a full-time traineeship with the Warrnambool City Council.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jordyn, 17, begins a two-year traineeship with the council's environment team on Monday.
“I did have an interest in conservation when I was younger but I didn’t think it was something I could pursue for a job. I thought I’d give it a go,” she said.
“I was quite nervous. I am quite happy about it. I didn’t tell anyone I was applying for it and then I said ‘I’ve got a full-time job’.
Jordyn will complete tasks such as tree planting, pest plant and animal control, on-ground management of council’s foreshore, reserves and maintaining areas of environmental significance.
Warrnambool City Council environment officer Paul Hartrick said Jordyn interviewed extremely well.
“She was confident, showed a genuine interest in the environment and a real enthusiasm to learn,” Mr Hartrick said.
“Jordyn exhibited a proactive attitude and a willingness to challenge herself.”
Jordyn said she was looking forward to a stable job and steady income in her new career.
“You meet people at TAFE who work at council and everyone there seems to love what they do and the people they work with,” she said.
“I would rather be in an environment like than than be in a job that I don’t really love.”
The teenager supports herself and worked part-time at Bojangles to fund her VCAL studies at South West TAFE.
She plans to continue to work one day a week at Bojangles and continue her studies.
“I’m halfway through doing my year 12 equivalent and my TAFE teachers said I can finish that in my spare time.”
“(It’s important) because you need a year 12 equivalent or have finished that sort of thing to be paid more and I would appreciate the extra dollars. I’m halfway through so I don’t want to leave it unfinished.”
She said there was a stigma around people who studied VCAL, but most of them just wanted to better themselves and gain the necessary skills to get a job.
When The Standard spoke to Jordyn in February she said she was “getting more out of” VCAL at TAFE than school and there was less pressure.
Jordan enjoys the hands-on nature of VCAL and gaining certificates which could be used in a various jobs and industries.
She said there were misconceptions about VCAL and there needed to be greater awareness of what the course involved.
RELATED: VCAL views need to change
