ANIMAL MAGNETISM: TAFE Digital vet nursing student Clare Curtis during a ‘life-changing’ trip to South Africa recently.

TAFE Digital has helped a former aspiring fashion designer make an unlikely career pivot to vet nursing and take part in an epic excursion to the wilds of Africa.

South Penrith woman Clare Curtis, 27, was studying a Diploma of Fashion at TAFE NSW when she made a snap decision to change courses and pursue her passion for animals.

Eager to enter a rewarding, in-demand industry, Ms Curtis secured a traineeship as a vet nurse with Nepean Vet Hospital, turning to TAFE Digital to give her the practical skills and knowledge to thrive in her new role.

In 2023, she enrolled in a Certificate II in Animal Studies through TAFE Digital and last year commenced a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

Ms Curtis was also part of a tour group of students and TAFE Digital teachers to visit Kwantu Game Reserve in South Africa in November, where they learned invaluable hands-on skills tending to a range of exotic animals.

“I’ve always had a natural bond with animals and I decided it was time to make my career working with them and keep fashion design as a hobby,” Ms Curtis said.

“Being able to do the course online, when and where it best suited me, really suited my lifestyle and it really complemented my work placement.”

Australia is the midst of a worsening vet nurse shortage, with a workforce survey conducted by the Australian Veterinary Association finding about a third of veterinary job vacancies took over 12 months to fill. 

Ms Curtis said the recent excursion to South Africa was a “life-changing” experience, both personally and professionally.

“It just built my confidence up so much and made me even more grateful for the life I have back here in Australia,” she said. “Having that experience of responding to animals in a different environment really helped build my skills as a nurse too.

“For example, we were there when an impala went into cardiac arrest and we helped do CPR on it.”

In her role at Nepean Vet Hospital, Ms Curtis is part of a team that responds to a range of animal emergencies, whether it be animals bitten by snakes or fighting for their lives following a traffic accident.

She said her TAFE Digital training had helped equip her to pursue a career as a specialist emergency vet nurse.

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.”