Janine had a long and successful career with TAFE NSW in Sydney when her and family decided to move south for a sea change.
Through COVID she realised being isolated wasn’t for her and she longed for a role with human interaction. Janine saw a job advertised for a Learning and Development Manager with CareSouth and decided to give it a go.
Janine remembers leaving the interview and saying to her husband ‘even if I don’t get the job I want to volunteer there because I just love it.’ Thankfully, she did secure the role, winning over the interview panel with her enthusiasm and decades of experience.
“People make assumptions about community organisations, but the governance, quality, strength-based values and ethical nature of this organisation are seriously impressive,” said Janine.
“Having a child with a disability myself I understand firsthand the importance of the work CareSouth do and how meaningful it is to be part of a team that is making a real difference while growing across the state.” added Janine.
Janine’s role is a strategic one, planning different types of training and analysing needs, building capacity not just for career growth and job enrichment but also for compliance and regulation.
“We understand that everyone learns differently so we offer a mixed model approach.”
“We have an internal L&D platform and bring in external experts when needed.”
“It’s a two-way street, I always want to hear feedback on what we could be doing differently or if a course didn’t meet expectations because we’re here to enhance not hinder peoples work.” Said Janine.
CareSouth’s online e-learning platform offers flexibility and access to both office based and rostered shift staff to ensure equity in delivery.
They have a special focus on ‘pathways’ for those who would like to transition to a different area as part of their career goals and if there are people studying the same course, they’ll be invited to participate in a communities of practice group together for mutual support.
“CareSouth has a learning and growth culture, we don’t fear failure we support and develop one another instead.”
“It’s a great environment to be in,” said Janine.
