Annie’s first step into childcare began at CQU TAFE Expo
By Greg Chapman
Annie Pretorius is happy to be looking at a long career in childcare - and it’s all down to taking the big step to attend a CQUniversity TAFE Careers Expo earlier this year.
The 17-year-old has encouraged other Central Queenslanders to consider attending the TAFE Careers Expos in January, especially if they’re looking to enter study, change careers, or acquire new skills.
“I attended the TAFE career expo at the CQU campus in Gladstone, and I ended up enrolling the same day,” she said.
“Before I went to the Expo, I was a bit unsure of what I wanted to study, and some very helpful and friendly staff members helped me to decide on what course to do because I was around people that could help me do it while I was there.
Annie quickly enrolled in a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and is very close to completing the course.
“What motivated me to study childcare was that I was looking to try something new and different and childcare seemed to be just that, there's never a dull moment and the days spent at the centre are hardly ever the same as the day before,” she said.
“I have almost completed the course. I have two units left which I will have completed by next April at the latest.
“I hope to get a job at a childcare centre for a while, while I study another TAFE course. Preferably this next TAFE course will be something in agriculture, which is once again something new and different for me.”
The TAFE Careers Expos will be held simultaneously across CQUniversity’s Gladstone, Mackay and Rockhampton North campuses on 21 January 2026 from 2pm-5pm.
Annie said attending the Expo was the best decision she’d made.
“I think that people should attend the career expo because there are a lot of different options that you can choose from with what you want to do with your career - and they can help you enrol in that course on the same day,” she said.
To register or learn more about the TAFE Careers Expo, visit the events page.
