Professional Development Blogs
Share your vocational area of expertise below and list a website below that you have come across which has valuable information relating to your industry area (the site can be a professional network or social media site).
202 comments
Vandana Setia
Learning has always been an important part of my journey. I have reached a stage where I want to take my passion for working with people, sharing knowledge and empowering others to the next level.
I am undertaking TAE40122 as I want to develop the skills and confidence to become a trainer and educator. My goal is to eventually teach at TAFE and, in the longer term, explore opportunities to teach at university.
Slava Tutukin
Hi! My name is Slava and I am working in the field of theatre and ballet. Upon completion of the CERT IV in Training and Assessment, I will be able to explore further career opportunities within the industry, particularly in education, training and supporting dancers and emerging artists.
My experience includes working with professional dancers, theatre companies, creative teams and arts organisations internationally. I am interested in sharing practical knowledge about dance, helping artists develop their skills, and supporting them in preparing for a professional career in theatre and ballet.
One website that I found which has interesting information about my industry area is Ausdance, Australia’s national dance network. It offers industry news, resources, professional-development opportunities and information for dancers, educators and organisations:
https://ausdance.org.au
Many thanks.
Best regards,
Slava
Callan Hamilton
My background is somewhat diverse, originally in Hospitality with expertise as a qualified Chef, and hold a Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery, I have also spent a significant amount of my career in people management holding a Diploma in Leadership and Management. My current field of expertise is in the Disability sector. My final goal would be to teach at TAFE.
A great resource for this is… https://careers.tafensw.edu.au/teaching-at-tafe-nsw
Omar
Hi , my name is Omar. I am a dedicated Registered Nurse working with NSW Health. Previously a high school teacher in East Turkistan, I developed strong communication, cultural awareness, and a commitment to education that continues to guide me—including volunteering each weekend as a teacher at the Uyghur Community School to support cultural preservation and learning for Uyghur children. I strive to deliver safe, patient-centred care while growing professionally, and outside work I enjoy travelling, sports, and exploring new cultures and languages.
Ella Rose Navarro
Hi my name is Ella, I am a nurse and a student nurse facilitator. I’m here to gain more skills and be a better educator and mentor to future nurses. Follow this link to find more information about the professional standards of my job in the operating room: https://www.acorn.org.au/
Rebecca Fenton
Hi, I’m Rebecca. I am a volunteer for Marine Rescue NSW as well as an employee in the insurance industry. I hope to gain skills that will help me in both places. The best source of information about Marine Rescue is their website: https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/
Kelvin
Hi I’m Kelvin, I have a healthcare background and looking to get into first aid/ CPR training!
Mal
Hi I’m Mal, I’m a hairdresser and Barista and have been in business for over 20 years. I’m looking at expanding my opportunities.
https://iambarista.com.au/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23955185443&gbraid=0AAAAA-Zr10UKGzq5j-f37gn30MiXiPJTk&gclid=Cj0KCQjwp9vTBhCWARIsANaUrjviXuw9nvCkjjkZLTcXr-HEA1i3QSLbYgI38o2nZIfoB9TazKwZNE4aAh47EALw_wcB
Luana
My vocational area of expertise is eyelash extensions, lash education and professional beauty services. I have worked in the lash industry since 2017 and specialise in safe application, lash health, client care and training other lash artists.
A valuable industry website is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC): https://www.accc.gov.au. It provides useful information about consumer rights, product safety and the responsibilities of beauty businesses in Australia.
Riina
Hi there, I have been working in the Early Childhood sector for the past 15+ years. During this time I have trained and mentored new and old staff members and have decided to make it official and gain the relevant qualification! The websites I use the most are:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education
https://www.acecqa.gov.au
Angus Dalton
Good morning everyone, I’m Angus, I’m a Paramedic Specialist working in Sydney. I’ve also got experience working in Ambulance Education roles as an on-road educator as well as 4WD instructor, as well as the informal frequent peer-to-peer education undertaken as a specialist on road. I also work with a number of private companies performing first-aid education to non-clinician first responders, and remote environment work.
I’m undertaking this qualification to consolidate my knowledge regarding education practices, and formalise my certification in this area in order to pursue future roles both within Ambulance and externally.
A couple of resources I absolutely love for my training/education practices are UpToDate (https://www.uptodate.com) and Life in the Fast Lane (www.litfl.com). Both of these sites publish regular contemporary evidence reviews regarding clinical topics, and are useful in ensuring my trainees/students/peers recieve current, evidence-based education. Cheers!
Matt
My nominated vocational area is firefighting & emergency management. A site that has plenty of helpful relevant info is http://www.fire.nsw.gov.au
Ellie
Good afternoon,
My name is Ellie and my area of expertise is Human Resource Management. I have spent close to 10 years working in a range of generalist HR roles, specifically within the hospitality industry. A website I often refer to and seek for information and continuous learning is: https://www.ahri.com.au/ahri-membership?msclkid=cdd2ea131d011c1449988061ca795f32
Johanna
My area of expertise is community services, specially practice and project management. A relevant website for careers has been Linkedin, to discover new ways of thinking and connect with others in the same fields.
Widad Joumah
Hi my name is Widad Joumah, I work for a council operated Multipurpose Early Childhood Education service. In this role I am an Early Childhood Teacher and Nominated Supervisor. My focus as the Early Childhood Teacher is to deliver a quality program that supports children’s learning, development, and wellbeing. As the Nominated Supervisor and Responsible Person my focus is to ensure compliance, safety, and effective leadership, with the child’s best interests at the centre of all decisions. The resources I use to assist me with these roles are https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au
https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education
https://www.acecqa.gov.au
Cameron
Hi,
My name is Cameron and I am keen to work on developing a lab tech skills course to support people working in high schools as lab support for Science. I have a background in science and education and think it would be great to develop a program that upskills people and supports them to do their job safely and with confidence.
A nice network page for labbies currently exists: https://schoolsnsw.sharepoint.com/sites/ScienceLaboratoryStaff/SitePages/CollabHome.aspx?ct=1784855777066&or=OWA-NT-Mail&cid=34226e23-c3bc-10cb-982e-5aabd3a425f6&ga=1&LOF=1&xsdata=MDV8MDJ8Y2FtZXJvbi5tY2RvbmFsZDY0QGRldC5uc3cuZWR1LmF1fDJmOGQ2M2FiZDkwZDRjYmRmYjcxMDhkZWU5MjRjOTllfDA1YTBlNjlhNDE4YTQ3YzE5YzI1OTM4NzI2MWJmOTkxfDB8MHw2MzkyMDQ1NDIyMDgzMzAwMzB8VW5rbm93bnxUV0ZwYkdac2IzZDhleUpGYlhCMGVVMWhjR2tpT25SeWRXVXNJbFlpT2lJd0xqQXVNREF3TUNJc0lsQWlPaUpYYVc0ek1pSXNJa0ZPSWpvaVRXRnBiQ0lzSWxkVUlqb3lmUT09fDB8fHw%3d&sdata=d1R2UGVZSEpKZlZkcmhlNWlPSUM0b0FsQmd1OTNmWlJueVVNRkR4eHVTZz0%3d
Brent
Cert IV in training and assessment to deliver training programs to in sports industry. Looking forward to learning the skills to be able to do this better.
Luke
Hi my name is Luke and my vocational area of expertise is software development. One site I use regularly and receive daily newsletters from is Information Age which is the main news publication of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) https://ia.acs.org.au/
Luke
Hi my name is Luke and my vocational area of expertise is software development
Tamara Pawlik
Hi, my name is Tamara. I have 12 years of experience working across various sectors of the hospitality industry and hold a Certificate in Hotel Administration.
Website featuring industry news and trends: https://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/
Catherine Morley
Hi I am a Nail Technician and Beauty Therapist.I have had several business’s in the past 30years and have now set up at home.Slowing down I plan to pass on my knowledge and expertise in the Nail industry and would love to go back to teaching.
Lauren
Hi Everyone,
My name is Lauren and I am a Registered Nurse working in a busy acute medical ward in a large public hospital. I enjoy clinical education and am looking to expand my expertise in this area.
Mark
My vocational experience is broad and covers mechanics, heavy vehicle/plant operation and communication skills. Unfortunately, the last one is not usually seen as a vocational field, but it well and truly should be! I’m currently working in a local government developing new standards for training and peer-to-peer learning/knowledge sharing programs for operators.
Emma-Lee MacMaster
I don’t have a true area of expertise but I have taught in schools a range of subjects from Hospitality, Agriculture, Computer Studies, Textiles, Permaculture, Careers studies. I want my focus to now be in Permaculture because Cert II has just been approved for delivery in schools. My original area of study is Science teaching.
https://permacultureaustralia.org.au/
Emma-Lee MacMaster
I don’t have a true area of expertise but I have taught in schools a range of subjects from Hospitality, Agriculture, Computer Studies, Textiles, Permaculture, Careers studies. I want my focus to now be in Permaculture because Cert II has just been approved for delivery in schools. My original area of study is Science teaching.
Lisa
Hi everyone,
I’m Lisa. I work as a Nurse and tutor at the university so doing this course to gain further expertise in my training.
Aisha
Hi everyone. My name is Aisha and my vocational area of expertise is aviation. I am currently working towards becoming a flight instructor which will allow me to teach and mentor future student pilots. A resource I regularly use is the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). It contains rules, procedures and operational information that pilots use to ensure flights are conducted safely in accordance with aviation regulations.
https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/aip/complete_19MAR2026.pdf
Merryn Sayer
I’m Merryn. My area of expertise is in the community service sector. I am a social worker and have spent most of my career working in child protection and parenting support. I’m passionate about social justice and human rights. The Raising Children Network site is my go-to in my personal parenting journey and in my work https://raisingchildren.net.au/
Merryn Sayer
I’m Merryn. My area of expertise is child protection and parenting support. I’m a social worker with an interest in social justice and human rights. Raising Children Network is my go-to for practical advice and support in my own parenting and when supporting others.
https://raisingchildren.net.au/
Olivia
Hi everyone, my name is Olivia and I am a Qualified Paramedic with NSW Ambulance. I have worked as a Paramedic for 5 years and before that was an Assistant in Nursing. The website that explains my work would be https://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/careers/paramedic
Ayla Woolley
Hello,
My name is Ayla. My area of expertise is horticulture, including plant health maintenance, weeding, propagation, community education alongside helping train other staff at my work place. I have a passion for developing my training skills and help others learn and understand horticulture in my community. A website I use that has great resources and ways to stay connected and up to date is; https://greenlifeindustry.org.au/
Nazih
Hi All – my area of expertise is IT leadership / technology strategy (enterprise transformation, digital delivery, governance and risk and large scale operational improvement).
A useful site I regularly refer to is LinkedIn, particularly for industry insights, leadership perspectives and real time discussions from technology executives and practitioners across sectors.
Kate
Hi everyone, my name is Kate and my vocational area of expertise is Cosmetic Nursing, Aesthetic Medicine and Clinic Management. I own and operate an aesthetic clinic in Sydney and am involved in staff training, mentoring and clinical education. A website I frequently use for professional development is the AHPRA website:
https://www.ahpra.gov.au
Susan
Hello everyone,
My name is Susie and I have volunteered for Marine Rescue for the last 9 years. We use our Marine Rescue NSW website for most of our resources.
https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au
Chelsea
I work as a Clinical Informatics Training and Support Trainer within NSW Health, specifically working with electronic Medical Record (eMR) and iPM (PAS) systems. This includes delivering training, supporting clinical staff to use digital health systems, and improving workflow efficiency in healthcare settings. A useful website for my industry is the Australian Digital Health Agency – https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au
Gemma
Hello, my name is Gemma. I am a hairdresser and I am looking to go into training. I have been in the industry for 15 years and looking to expand my options.
Jessica Thomson
Hi my name is Jessica Thomson and my area of expertise is early childhood teaching with a key interest in special education and inclusive practice.
I love to explore and research to deepening my knowledge and skills and value many podcasts from Play, Learn Thrive, Sue Larkey etc I also use key frameworks to guide my practice including the Early years learning framework, National Quality Standards, Conventions of the rights of the child, Child safe standards just to name a few.
https://www.learnplaythrive.com.au/
Tahni W
Hi, my name is Tahni and I am a teacher and Youth worker in the NSW Department of Education. This is a website I use quite often for teaching and understanding digital safety: https://www.esafety.gov.au
Wen Zhang
Hi~ My name is Wen Zhang. I am in the beauty industry.
I find the link below usefu.
https://www.accc.gov.au/
Darren
Good afternoon,
My name is Darren and I am a Project Manager with Transport for NSW. My role involves assessing the impact major projects have on the road and transport network and making sure these projects are completed safely. One of the websites that I regularly use is, Austroads.
https://austroads.gov.au/
Olivia
Hi everyone,
My area of expertise is aviation as I am completing this course to become a flight instructor. I enjoy teaching people and connecting with them and I feel this course will help me further my skills. A website I often find helpful is the Civil Aviation Authority Website as it helps me keep up to date with new changes and regulations.
https://www.casa.gov.au/
Jade O'Hara
Hi all! My name is Jade and I’m a Beauty Therapist. I have completed a Diploma in Salon Management, and being able to train aspiring beauty professionals has always been my end goal. I enjoy passing on my knowledge and expertise to others and watching them grow and gain confidence in themselves and their abilities. I’m really excited to jump into this TAA program! I love building my skills and I can’t wait to learn more!
Rochelle
My vocational area of expertise is Early Childhood Education and Care. I am a bachelor-trained early childhood teacher and have been working in this sector for 16 years. I have really enjoyed the training and mentoring side of my role, particularly as an Educational Leader and 2IC, supporting and guiding other educators in their practice.
A website I regularly use is ACECQA (https://www.acecqa.gov.au). It provides up-to-date information on the National Quality Framework and supports my ongoing reflection and professional practice
Elle
Hi, My name is Elle.
My vocational area of expertise is Hairdressing, in which I wish to persue the dream of teaching to students both within and surrounding our school area. A website I use to keep up to date with new and trending product lines is https://mukhair.com
Deb
Hi Everyone
I’m Deb a qualified coach building an online platform to help support business owners in the residential design industry. I love training and have always wanted to gain the qualification of Cert IV Training and Assessment. I am really looking forward to the course. My background includes sales training in the finance industry, and project management and design in the landscaping and building industry. This qualification will help with confidence + skills as I facilitate workshops both face to face and online.
Lisa-Marie
Hi,
I’m a retail state manager and enjoy facilitating trainings and adult learning. I am looking to expand my skillset and current qualifications for my current and future roles. I am extremely passionate about helping people to achieve their highest potential.
Dean
Hi! My name is Dean and I work in the NSW Mining industry. I am preparing to pivot from an operational role to a safety and training role and will use this course to get me ready to conduct group training sessions for new and experienced coal mine workers.
I use the NSW Resource Regulator website to keep up to date on emerging industry safety themes and recent incidents.
https://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/resources-regulator
Quanhui
Hi, I am an aged care RN and serve as the IPC lead. In my role, I need to conduct competency assessments for staff and mentor those who are new to aged care. I am eager to further develop my teaching and mentoring skills by attending this course, and I look forward to enjoying my learning journey with the support of the ITTA team.
Jen
Hi there, my name is Jen. I am an Ambulance and Police/SES call taker at Triple Zero Victoria. I am currently completing my Cert IV in Training & Assessment as part of my ongoing PD for my role as a workplace trainer. My passion for assisting the Victorian public, keeping our first responders safe, and delivering ongoing training to both new and existing staff continually drives me. I really enjoy listening to the I AM 000 podcast and Velg webinars. The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch is also a great resource for emergency dispatch.
Jessica
I am an Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) and Assistant Director working within the early childhood education sector. I am passionate about further developing my professional skills, with the goal of supporting and training educators who are working towards their qualifications in our field.
A valuable website I have come across is the Geccko Online Learning Platform (https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/online-learning). This platform provides free, detailed professional development that is self-paced, allowing educators to build their knowledge and skills in a flexible and accessible way. It is a highly beneficial resource for both new and experienced educators seeking ongoing learning and growth.
Sam
Hi everyone, my name is Sam. I’m a paramedic with NSW Ambulance working in the Lower Clarence. I’m passionate about education and developing others in the job. We often work closely with trainee paramedics and interns, so I’m hoping this course will help me better support and mentor them. I’m also interested in possibly moving into an education role in the future.
Here is a website I find helpful for professional expectations of paramedics: https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Professional-standards/Professional-capabilities-for-registered-paramedics.aspx