Eva Sigley - Certificate III in Individual Support

My interest in caring for started with my family. I have a brother with autism and a sister with brain damage. Seeing my siblings go through primary school, and the way society is not structured for them, has been a massive part of my life. I always wanted to help make the world a better place for them. My mum (a support worker who was also a teacher’s aide) suggested this course while I was thinking about what to do after high school. Originally I thought about primary school teaching, but realised I had much more interest in a carers role, helping people live a better life.

While some think this job is simply about taking people to do their shopping, it’s much bigger than that, which is really rewarding for everyone. We don’t prioritise time with elderly people but they have so much to offer, even far into dementia. The connection we make and what they talk about enrich my life because there is so much knowledge there and I love working with our five residents sharing a beautiful home environment.

I loved studying at the College, which was much different to school. The course is only two days a week over six months so it’s not long in the scheme of things. I had the rest of the week to work and reflect on what I’d learnt at the beautiful Mullumbimby campus just a minute from the centre of town.

Hands-on teaching meant the classes was very real. During first aid, learning what to do if someone has a seizure was challenging at first but when I was faced with this at work, I was able to centre myself and do exactly what was needed. One of my favourite things was that the teachers actually work in the field. It’s not just some course you do online. There is lots of connection with the tutors who teach curriculum and what they know we need to do on the job every day.

If anyone is thinking about studying Individual Support at the College, just do it. It’s a great career option that’s also an excellent pathway into many other industries like nursing, mental health, or even just figuring out what you want to do.

In the future I aim to work with younger people living with disabilities and am thinking about training in music therapy, which has had some amazing results. One day, a resident who typically only says a few words, started singing, dancing and clapping during music therapy. There are so many stories like this and this is the change I want to be a part of.

Back