From 16-year-old school leaver to future midwife

After leaving high school early, Melanie found her calling in healthcare through UOW College’s CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support, securing a job in aged care and setting her sights on a future in midwifery.

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Finding her own path

Growing up, Melanie was a shy child who struggled to find her place in mainstream education. By the time she was 16, she knew the traditional school pathway wasn’t right for her. 

Despite being advised against leaving school early, Melanie trusted her instincts. After discovering UOW College at a careers expo, she enrolled in the Certificate III in Individual Support to learn person-centred support at the UOW Wollongong campus.  

At just 16, Melanie stepped into a world that was very different to the one her school friends were living in. With classes three days a week, from 9am to 3pm, she had to catch an early train to campus and often arrived back home around 5pm. 

“Welcome to adult life early,” she remembers thinking. But she never regretted this decision.  

Learning to care, in and beyond the classroom

The five-month course introduced Melanie to a broad range of subjects, from supporting older people and people with disability to understanding diversity and learning essential care skills. 

She particularly enjoyed the practical nature of the course and the support of her teachers, who helped bring the realities of working in healthcare to life through their own experiences. 

“The course was very hands-on, which was fantastic. And the educators are such great fits for the job; they tell you things in depth and prepare you for real life,” Melanie says. 

Her learning soon extended beyond the classroom. Encouraged by her mother, who had spent 17 years working in aged care, Melanie started a work placement with Warrigal, an aged care provider, and quickly found herself in a memory care unit supporting people living with dementia. 

As one of the youngest people in the workplace, the experience was confronting. She was also caring for a person receiving palliative care who died the week after her placement ended. 

“I was in shock – really nothing prepares you for that. It widens your life perspective,” she says. “I’m an emotional person. I feel people’s feelings. You can be taught how to handle emotions, but you can’t really put it into action. You have to learn it yourself.” 

Yet, Melanie felt lucky that the practical foundations of the course helped her provide safe and respectful care in a real-world setting. 

“We learned how to lift people, use lifting equipment and support someone who is falling. Practising these skills with other students helped us understand how to care for people properly.” 

From work placement to a career in nursing

Melanie was offered a job at Warrigal before her placement had even ended and still studying her course. The work environment was challenging at times, but she found the silver lining in small acts of kindness and building relationships with the people she supports. 

“I just love hearing their stories, especially from those living with dementia, because you have to join the dots from their previous tales,” says Melanie. “I also like doing a little bit extra. For example, one of the residents loves having her hair braided, and even though I’m not good at it, I do it for her, and she’s happy.” 

Her experience working in aged care also strengthened Melanie’s interest in healthcare and helped her take the next step in her education. 

She is now studying UOW College’s HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing. Having completed the first year of the 18-month course, she has already found that her Certificate III in Individual Support provided a valuable foundation and let her build on knowledge she had already gained. 

After completing her diploma, Melanie hopes to progress into the second year of a Bachelor of Nursing at UOW, with the longer-term goal of becoming a registered nurse. But she has a particular ambition in mind. 

“I want to be a midwife,” she says. 

Having started her healthcare journey supporting older people, Melanie hopes one day to work with newborns and their families, bringing her career full circle from the end of life to its beginning. 

For other school leavers considering a different route into healthcare, her advice is simple: “I would tell them to get a certificate in something, because it builds up a career. You can branch off to anything with a Cert III qualification.” 

Find out more about studying Individual Support at UOW College