Fire up your skills with CQUni's short courses

Greetings from the UK! Anita and I are on a short holiday to see family and friends and have a week's downtime. We were even lucky enough catch up with our son Adam who is working as the ship’s doctor on the HMAS ANZAC, while the ship docked in the UK.  Next week it's back to work though and I'm off to Asia to meet with some of our counterparts at Universities in Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Mongolia. The whole trip will be about two weeks and we have back to back engagements with a number of key industry contacts, tertiary education associates and distinguished alumni.

Being away from home for so long makes me really keen to get home and I am certainly excited to get back to Rocky  to work on my many projects.

Some of you would know I have a number of hobbies outside of work including tending to my fish tanks and the odd bit of pottery. And most recently I was lucky enough (not sure if Anita agrees) to find an absolute treasure on my way to the Bundaberg graduation back in April. 

This amazing old 1971 Series 2A Land Rover had been sitting for sale in a paddock near Miriam Vale for quite some time. As soon as I saw it a grand plan flashed before me and I promptly when back that weekend and purchased it … so began a new project. I’ve got some special things planned for this rig and will keep you up-to-date on my progress via Twitter.

For those that have attempted a project like this you would know it’s no easy feat. You need some pretty special skills. 

Pulling it apart was easy but the reassembly might be a different story. I guess it’s a good thing then that I have since enrolled in a night welding short course here at the University. 

It was so great heading back into the classroom and learning something completely new. I love being able to learn new practical skills that I can apply to everyday life or to new projects and this welding course was a lot of fun!

I was also bowled over by the quality of the teaching facilities and equipment we now have at the University. My instructor Shaun was so knowledgeable and helpful (and patient!)

Welding isn’t the only course available either – there are plenty of options to choose from including barista training, cooking and beauty therapy to name a few. Check out our website for more details. The courses also great because you learn everything there and then with no take home assessments – perfect for busy people who want to gain some new skills or follow a particular interest. 

So why not give it a go? Our TAFE campuses in CQ have plenty to offer and I am certain that other TAFE colleges outside of our VET footprint would also offer some great courses. If you're already doing a short course or just completed one I'd love to hear about it and perhaps you could also suggest something else for me to try as well? Email me your ideas then I can report back on my experience.