Back to School Thanks to Free TAFE

After working in the events industry for over 12 years, Christina Cregan decided it was time to upskill and enrolled in the Certificate III in Tourism with Box Hill Institute through the Free TAFE for Priority Courses program. She said, "I've worked in this field before and thought it would be great to have a certificate to verify my knowledge and also learn a lot more."

Since starting her studies in October 2020, Christina has enjoyed every aspect of her course, especially the opportunity to study online. She said, "I did look into this course a couple of years ago, but logically it was going to be a challenge working full time and travelling to campus."

Christina worked as the events manager for KE Creative Events, delivering conferences and incentives, and she runs her own business, Cregan Creative, offering small and local tours for the leisure market. She started her business because the Victoria’s regional areas excite her and she loves introducing people to new and different experiences. She said, "I offer bespoke tours around Kyneton and the Macedon Ranges and outlying regions where we are spoilt for choice when it comes to visiting award-winning wineries and eateries and meeting producers that are passionate about what they have created."

Christina found applying to study through Free TAFE was easy. She simply visited the Box Hill Institute website and followed the instructions. She said, "Free TAFE is great because as a mature-aged student, I have the opportunity to extend on my education and not have to pay."

As much as she loves studying online, Christina finds it easy to get distracted. However, her teacher Sharyn Smith has been very supportive and generous with her time. Christina said, "Sharyn is great because she has experience in the industry as well."

Excited to complete her course, Christina would like to see herself do more tours, work on her business, and offer a place where people can get an organised holiday. For anyone thinking of enrolling in a Free TAFE course, she said, just do it! "It's great to extend your passions and knowledge and always wonderful learning something new," she said.