Prity finds purpose after arriving in Young and working with children

When Prity Pandey arrived in Australia with her husband and child, she left behind her previous career in accounting in India, and turned instead to a career with purpose, working in early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

Ms Pandey was looking for a career in Australia which was “in demand” and one which would allow her to find work in her new home, in the regional New South Wales community of Young. 

She soon enrolled in a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, which she began at the start of 2024, and within months of commencing her studies she was offered a role as an early childhood educator at Goodstart Early Learning Young.

“We had a joint family arrangement in India so I spent a lot of time caring for children, calming them and getting them into activities,” Ms Pandey said.

“When I arrived in Australia, I found it was a great opportunity to polish my skills and pursue a career in childcare, providing me with a great profession with real job security.”

Her course with TAFE NSW Young helped her to “join the dots” and gave her  important context about the local sector and the practical skills and experience to make an immediate impact in her new job.

“I had a complete blank about how this type of education worked in Australia; the legal requirements, regulations, how to plan activities to maximise a child’s cognitive, physical and social development,” she said. “This is my career now and TAFE NSW has given me the practical knowledge to work in the industry (sic.) while I’m still studying.”

Ms Pandey, who is pictured with her son, plans to continue her study when her Certificate III is completed, moving on to a Diploma, and ideally a Bachelor qualification before she realises her dream of opening her own service. 

To learn more about studying early childhood education with TAFE NSW see here.