South West TAFE News
Back to all news

Course inspired a new career direction for Georgia

/ Success Story
A VET Delivered to Secondary Students course at South West TAFE has inspired a new career direction for Georgia McKenzie.
Georgia McKenzie

Georgia was at Emmanuel College when she decided to enrol in the Certificate II in Retail Cosmetics.

“I had done an extra year 12 subject so in year 11 I thought I would do a fun subject,” she said.

What started out as a fun subject turned into a passion and now Georgia has her eyes firmly set on a career in the beauty and skincare industry.

Georgia completed her Certificate II, Certificate III and will finish her Diploma of Beauty Therapy at the end of this year.

She was so successful in her studies that she was awarded Student of the Year in both years of her VET DSS course.

“I’ve just loved it and now I’m planning to start my Bachelor of Dermal Science at Victoria Uni at the start of next year,” she said.

Combining her two passions of science and beauty, the four-year Dermal Science degree has been reduced to just three years for Georgia with credits from her Diploma of Beauty Therapy course.

“I’m so excited with what I will learn and it’s been great to get advice from some of the teachers here at TAFE who have the same qualification,” she said.

Georgia said she was particularly looking forward to learning about laser hair removal, treating rosacea, cosmetic procedures and micro pigmentation.

She said she had gained so much from her VET DSS course and would recommend anyone from any trade to give it a go.

“The skills you learn in any sort of trade will stay with you for life even if you don’t follow that career path. If you do a pre-apprenticeship you will always have practical skills and be able to fix things.

“Even the people and work skills you gain will help you with any uni course you do. Plus it looks great on your resume and adds to your year 12 score,” she said.

While Georgia is just excited to see where her course could take her, she has a dream to one day own her own skin clinic specialising in all natural, environmentally friendly and cruelty-free products.

Georgia working in cosmetics
Georgia working on a client