Employer: Tasmanian Secondary Colleges RTO at Newstead College (Department of Education)

Sharon Turner teaches Certificate II in Salon Assistant and Certificate II in Retail Cosmetics at Newstead College, where she enthusiastically develops the skills of students for the twenty-first century.

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic changed the way training is delivered and Sharon consulted with her students about how to teach their lessons. Based on their feedback, she created lessons to be delivered online and initiated a Facebook group to upload YouTube demonstrations. Sharon also focused on their mental health by posting one lesson a week which included her top ten tips for mental health and getting students to engage.

Sharon said the pandemic has encouraged her to design more lessons that are able to be uploaded so students can view the material in their own time and learn at their own pace. As a result of Sharon’s efforts, students have engaged more and their enthusiasm has greatly increased.