Certificate IV in Landscape Design 

RTO: South Metropolitan TAFE 

Although she has always been a creative person, it took Zoe a little while to find her true vocation. Following her father into architecture when she left school, she realised that was not where her future lay, despite enjoying the combination of technical and creative elements. Although always keenly interested in landscape design, she doubted her ability, and lacked the self-confidence to follow a creative career, so tried a number of job roles before taking time out to become a mother.

When she was ready to return to work, she quickly learned that her experience and qualifications were no longer relevant or that job roles were not able to support her family commitments. It was then she finally decided to follow her passion and retrain with a Certificate IV in Landscape Design.

Zoe relished the opportunity to develop her technical and project management skills which have allowed her creative talents to flourish. Training provided her the opportunity to learn with her hands and the flexibility to study part-time so she could manage her training while being a parent. She says that her training experience has finally made her feel like she is stepping into the person she was always supposed to be.

On completing the Certificate IV in Landscape Design and winning the WA Landscape Designer Award (student category) she plans to expand her practical industry experience for a few years before continuing her training.