SKILLS TRAINING | INCLUSIVE LEARNING

After leaving Wallsend High School in year 9, Amanda was struggling with reading and spelling and never thought she would be able to achieve her studies. Amanda had heard positive stories about Atwea College and decided to enrol in the Certificate III in Individual Support, Disability. Travelling from Windale to Raymond Terrace two days per week, Amanda became determined to succeed.

Being a single mother to 6 daughters and a foster carer for 6 years, Amanda has looked after children who live with disability and feels helping others is her calling. She now believes she has the skills and passion to help other adults living with disability. Her daughters are her biggest drive to succeed and she wants to show them how to be brave and confident.

In the Certificate III in Individual Support, Amanda learned how to support independence and wellbeing, how to work with diverse people, the line of legal and ethical work, and how to follow safe work practices. She also learnt about community participation and social inclusion and how to facilitate the empowerment of people with disability. She is now ready to take her skills and knowledge and apply them in the real world.

Amanda is always caring and supportive to her class mates which helps create a positive class environment. With the help of her trainer Trudi, Atwea Student Support Services and the training coordinator, Amanda has grown in confidence. She has learned that it is okay to ask for help when needed. One of Amanda’s daughters also studied the course with her.

“With the support of Atwea, I feel so much more confident.”

Amanda found the positive environment she needed at Atwea College. She felt supported all the way and enjoyed the smaller classes which gave her a more individualised experience. Staff were always there to talk about the next steps in her journey and help where they could.

In the future, Amanda would like to continue her studies at a higher level and work in the disability sector. With all the support from Atwea, Amanda now feels confident to face the future.

To find out more about these courses, see page 8.