17 August 2022
After becoming one of the first ten students to graduate from our specialist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer (AIEO) graduate pilot program this year, Lieshia Green has now been announced as a WA Training Awards Finalist.
Lieshia said she was happy just to be considered for the Awards with everything else a bonus.
“When I found out I was semi-finalist I was so excited, I don’t win anything, to be a finalist is a real honour,” she said.
“I came to TAFE to enhance my skills as an AIEO; never did I think about any awards.
“I have a passion for working with students, families and communities, and as a First Nations Noongar women, with a particular interest in helping other First Nations young people. I wanted to better myself for my community and children.”
This passion led Lieshia to the one-year AIEO program at NMTAFE which uses a flexible mode of delivery to support each students’ learning style. All study was work-based with students progressing at their own pace using different methods such as face-to-face and web conferencing that allowed the students to interact with their lecturer.
Lieshia said the best part of the program was the relationship with the lecturer and how they worked with her to suit her needs.
“She was very flexible either coming out to my school or meet on the online platform, I appreciated the oral aspect, being able to discuss things I wanted to understand more.
“The course has taught me a lot and built on the experience I already had in the industry having worked as an AIEO since 2020. It has upskilled me to support students specifically with additional needs, which I have already been able to put this into practise,” she said.
Lieshia is now busy working across three schools as an AIEO Support Officer, Osborne Primary School, Westminster Primary School and Balcatta Primary School.
“Having had a difficult childhood, dropping out of school before completing Year 10 and having my children young, I am extremely proud of what I have been able to achieve for both myself and family,” she said.
NMTAFE Principal Lecturer, Jane Goodfellow acknowledged the successful outcomes of the program.
“Communities across Western Australia have heard of the success of this program and support its expansion. We can see how our student AIEOs fit into the vast network of around 6000 Education Support officers in WA,” she said.
“Our mission is to nurture participation, and to improve employability. We are extremely pleased with our partnership, working alongside the Department of Education in supporting the WA Government to provide future skills for future jobs,” she said.
Lieshia is also a finalist in our 2022 Ambassador Awards, highlighting the college’s outstanding and inspiring students.
Winners of the WA Training Awards will be announced at an awards event on 21 September. We have an additional six students as finalists at the WA Training Awards. Find out more and see a full list of finalists here(opens in a new tab) .
For more information on the AIEO Program at NMTAFE, please contact Libby Hamilton libby.hamilton@nmtafe..wa.edu.au or see our Education Support course pages.