Port Macquarie’s Noeline Gosano has always been a kind-hearted woman, but after a long battle with breast cancer, she was inspired to follow her passion of caring for others in community nursing.
“It has been a long road to recovery, but I finished treatment two years ago and am now cancer-free,” Mrs Gosano said.
“It really takes one of those life-changing moments to realise you need to do something you love.”
It was this epiphany, and the fact she couldn’t obtain permanent work in the retail sector, that led her to rethink her career options after moving from Bathurst to Port Macquarie.
“I had worked for a major supermarket for a really long time and was hoping for a transfer to Port Macquarie but when that didn’t eventuate, I decided retraining might be the next step,” she said.
“I felt very overwhelmed at first, so I popped into VERTO’s Port Macquarie office where I met Tammy and Nicole who have been in my corner ever since, encouraging me every step of the way.”
With the help of VERTO, Mrs Gosano signed up to the jobactive program, which is an Australian Government employment service to help people into work. It also assists employers find the right staff for their business.
After talking through her career goals with VERTO, Mrs Gosano was enrolled in a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) with the Australian Recruitment Consultants Pty Ltd (ARC) in 2019 and is now employed by Mayo Home Nursing Service as a Community Care Nurse.
“I hadn’t done any kind of study since I was at school, so I lacked a lot of confidence at first, but VERTO gave me enormous support,” Mrs Gosano said.
“They provided me with petrol vouchers to get to work placements and even helped me purchase appropriate footwear and clothes once I started working.
“Taking the brave leap into new career has been life-changing.”
VERTO Disability Employment Services Team Leader, Tammy Flanagan, said the team was thrilled to see Mrs Gosano working in a sector that gives her so much joy and reward.
“Noeline has always been such a strong and capable client, always going above and beyond despite any setbacks,” Ms Flanagan said.
“I could see that she had a true passion for caring for others and it always spurred her on.”
VERTO’s Chief Executive Officer, Ron Maxwell, said Mrs Gosano should be incredibly proud of her achievements.
“Noeline is a wonderful example that it’s never too late to reskill or pursue a new career through vocational education and training,” he said.
“VERTO works with people from all different backgrounds, many of whom have faced significant challenges when it comes to study and employment, who may be unsure what’s next, so if you need some guidance, make sure you get in touch.”
For more information, phone VERTO on 1300 4 VERTO (1300 483 786) or visit www.verto.org.au.
