TAFE Digital vet nursing graduate Belinda Coleman (left) during a “life-changing” trip to South Africa recently. Photo: Supplied.
Mum-of-two Belinda Coleman spent more than 20 years discovering the hidden details of crime scenes as an investigator.
Belinda was always on the clock and found the work fulfilling, but, after two decades, she decided it was time for a change.
Belinda then tried a few different career paths, enjoying stints as a photographer and co-owner of Wagga Scrap Metals. However, it wasn’t until she enrolled in a TAFE Digital Course for a Cert II in Animal Studies that she found her true calling.
Since enrolling in the course in 2023, Belinda has secured a traineeship at Lake Road Veterinary Clinic where she is just months away from finishing her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and her recent trip to the Kwantu Game Reserve in South Africa in November provided her with invaluable hands-on experience caring for various exotic animals.
“I’ve always had a connection with animals and I wanted to find a job I really loved,” Ms Coleman said.
“Being a trainee vet nurse is ideal because you learn on the job, and then you can go home and adapt what you’ve learned to your study.
“As a busy mum and business owner, having the flexibility to study when and where it best suits me is a huge bonus.”
Ms Coleman said the recent excursion to South Africa was a “life-changing” experience, both personally and professionally.
“We were able to get behind the scenes with the animals and work alongside experienced South African vets,” she said.
“We fed and got up close with white lions, tigers, elephants and so many others. We relocated a zebra from the reserve to a smaller enclosure and helped vaccinate, worm and do health checks on a range of animals.”
Australia is in the midst of a worsening vet nurse shortage, with a 2021 workforce survey conducted by the Australian Veterinary Association finding about a third of veterinary job vacancies took more than 12 months to fill.
The NSW Government has moved to address the shortage in the bush, recently expanding its Welcome Experience program, giving vets, vet nurses, vet technicians and their families assistance with sourcing housing, childcare and other services when moving to rural NSW.
TAFE Digital vet nursing teacher Sally Lee, a vet nurse of 20 years who travelled with students to South Africa, said the job prospects for graduates were “positive”.
“There are a huge amount of jobs for vet nurses in the industry and many of our students gain employment during their first work placement,” Ms Lee said.
“And the South African trip really was an emotional and humbling experience. It gave students priceless hands-on experience but also broadened their perception and approaches to veterinary medicine.”
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