10 November 2016
It's January 2025 and you have commuted to work in your driverless car, to be greeted by a robotic receptionist before using a retina scanner to enter your virtual, interactive workspace.
Or maybe not.
Whatever the future holds one thing we know for sure is that education is the key to ongoing job security.
According to futurist and the Founding Director of UniSA’s Science Creativity Education Studio, Dr Kristin Alford, the jobs of the future will challenge us to apply our skills creatively in different contexts and they will demand on-going learning.
So, what better time with the start of a new year approaching to move back into study or study for the first time whatever your age or previous education level.
Moving back into study is exciting but non-school leavers often have family, work or just other ‘life’ complications that seem to get in the way but with endless flexible study options the reality is that the sky is actually the limit.
The University of South Australia is strongly committed to equity and access and recognises that everyone, not just school leavers, should have equal opportunities for further education.
Flexible study options and a range of entry pathways inspired Kerry Folland to make the move to study nursing and midwifery at UniSA and she hasn’t looked back.
“While I have had a range of jobs including retail, running playgroups and, of course, being a Mum to my three gorgeous children, I wanted to experience studying at uni for myself and I felt I needed a solid career that I would feel passionate about doing for the rest of my life,” Kerry says.
“When I spent time in hospital before I had my last baby the midwives were so supportive and caring and so I felt a pull or calling to being a midwife myself.
“Attending Open Day at UniSA I was so impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff and students and the hospital setup and equipment really appealed to me.
“Uni had seemed unreachable, especially midwifery, but I sat the STAT test to gain entry into nursing and did extremely well proving to myself that I could do it and, in fact I could do more, I could become a midwife gaining entry the following year.”
Kerry studies part-time and externally because with three children there is plenty for her to juggle.
“Sometimes it's hard because the people you get to know move on and it's easy to procrastinate but I stay motivated and organised and it is great being part-time because I am mostly studying one course at a time,” Kerry says.
“Being external also gives me the flexibility to watch lectures online and access online classes.
“Whether you have no previous qualifications or you’ve already studied at a tertiary level through university, TAFE or another registered training organisation, UniSA offers a range of entry pathways to study so I would encourage anyone to explore all these options.”
UniSA is South Australia’s number one university for graduate careers and a leading provider of higher education with a reputation for exceptional research, industry connections and teaching excellence.
Degrees span all disciplines and there is a range of study options including full-time or part-time, or on-campus, online or a combination of all.
UniSA also offers a range of personal and learning support services that develop academic and research skills and help all students, no matter what their circumstances, manage life while studying.
With the end of the year approaching there are some important dates to consider including the SATAC equal consideration date the 5th of December and UniSA’s Preference Information Event at City East on the 21st December.
Everyone is welcome on Wednesday 21 December from 4.00pm – 6.30pm at UniSA’s City East campus to have last minute questions answered and because the SATAC change of preference deadline isn’t until the 3rd of January as long as an application is in by December 5th, preferences can be changed as often as necessary and equal consideration will still apply.
UniSA College also provides a range of educational opportunities to inspire and assist further study and educational attainment through academic and UniSA Connect programs.
UniSA Academic Diploma and Foundation Studies programs are designed primarily for people who do not have the qualifications required to get directly into a bachelor degree.
These programs are a supportive way for students to settle into a university environment and prepare to succeed by building academic skills and prerequisite knowledge.
There is an entry pathway for everyone so what door will you open next?
Media contact: Katrina McLachlan mobile: 0414972537 email: katrina.mclachlan@unisa.edu.au
