When Yuki Stavely-Alexander started studying a Certificate III in Accounts Administration in 2016 at TAFE NSW Grafton, she didn’t expect that only two years later, she would be working towards a career as an accountant. “As a mature-aged mother from a non-English speaking background, I thought studying accounting would be too hard. I had so much support and enjoyed studying so much, I enrolled in another three courses!” says Ms Stavely-Alexander. When Ms Stavely-Alexander completed the Certificate III in Accounts Administration, she was acknowledged with an Award of Excellence, then went on to complete a Certificate IV in Bookkeeping and Certificate IV in Accounting in 2017. Now she is currently enrolled online through TAFE Digital in the Diploma of Accounting. “TAFE NSW was my first choice when it came to continuing my education. It’s been a real bonus being able to transfer credits to the next qualification. It makes my goals much more achievable,” says Ms Stavely-Alexander. A year into her studies Ms Stavely-Alexander secured part-time employment as a bookkeeper at a local psychology practice, through her teacher’s industry connections. “I work as an accountant, and keep an eye out for job opportunities for students. Studying at TAFE is very practical, and gives students a range of skills that enable them to step straight into the workforce. As an employer myself, I prefer TAFE graduates. They are job ready and need far less training to get up to speed,” says TAFE NSW Grafton accounting teacher, Christine Hammond. Ms Hammond says it is also industry currency, which makes TAFE NSW qualifications valuable to employers. “The connection between teaching and current industry practice is vital. We keep up-to-date with the skills and attributes that industry and employers are looking for and ensure that our graduates are well equipped  to deliver them,” says Ms Hammond. Now Ms Stavely-Alexander is looking forward to continuing her career pathway, in the hope of one day becoming a qualified accountant. “When I started, I had no knowledge of the financial industry in this country. However, with the support of my teachers and committing myself to study, I’ve shown nothing is impossible. I didn’t know I was capable of achieving this much in such a short space of time,” says Ms Stavely-Alexander. It’s not too late to enrol for Semester 1. To find out more, visit www.tafensw.edu.au