TasTAFE
Inspiring a new generation of tour guides
“The flexible learning environment at TasTAFE is awesome – I’d definitely recommend it. “It was good to be around the teachers and bounce ideas off them, because they had so much knowledge: team-building skills, being a lead guide, food handling, first aid… and they were really respectful of the Aboriginal cultural aspects in tour guiding, too.”
A proud pakana man from nipaluna/Hobart, Harley Mansell completed his Certificate III in Guiding at TasTAFE in 2024 and has become a strong advocate for VET within his community. Harley works as a tour guide with wukalina Walk, an Aboriginal-owned guided cultural walk in north- east lutruwita/Tasmania. “We take visitors on Country, we show them the bush medicines, show them the foods they can eat – we cook them up a banquet. And we go up to a ‘living site’ and share cultural experiences with them,” Harley said. Harley enrolled in his TasTAFE course via Fee-Free TAFE. The flexible mix of online, face-to-face and on-site training suited him perfectly – with great support from TasTAFE’s Aboriginal Support Officers and his teachers. Last year, Harley won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award at the Tamanian Training Awards and was nominated for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year award at the Australian Training Awards where he finished runner-up.
PICS: ALISTAIR BETT/SKILLS TASMANIA
Harley’s success is inspiring younger members of his community to learn with TasTAFE – including two of his cousins who are now studying Guiding and working with him at wukalina Walk.
“I’m really proud of them,” Harley said.
“In the indigenous community, for the next generation, it’s inspiring for me to show them that you can do it.” Looking for a career that allows you to work outdoors? TasTAFE’s Certificate III in Guiding (SIT30322) prepares you to be become a general or bushwalking tour guide. This course is included in fee-free TAFE for 2025, and you can enrol at any time. Find out more at www.tafe.tas.edu.au/courses Reg. 60142
45 Tasmanian Hospitality Review August/September Edition
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