Student Q&A: Ester D'agostino

Ester D'agostino recently completed a Work Health and Safety course with Upskilled. Last year, she was re-evaluating what she wanted to do professionally and decided undertaking a qualification was the best course of action.

Being appointed as the Health and Safety representative at her workplace, she knew developing her skills and knowledge was important, so stumbling upon a qualification in work health and safety made the timing so favourable.

In this Q&A, Ester shares her course experience, how her trainer supported her throughout her studies and what makes WHS so interesting. 

What was the motivation behind studying Work Health and Safety? 

This time last year, I was pondering my work life situation. I wanted to study to get more skills and be able to get into a more qualified job position. I was also appointed as health and safety representative at my workplace. 

During this period, I thought that the best thing to do was to find a qualification that would be appropriate for this new role. I jumped on the internet, and I discovered that the Work Health and Safety qualification existed! I’m glad that I found and completed it.

How has this course helped you in your current role? 

 This course helped me in a practical way. It gave me a much clearer understanding of my position and what is health and safety at work. I work in a nursing home as a personal care assistant, but I am also the health and safety representative. 

The place is quite big, so the safety of all carers, nurses, kitchen and laundry staff, and visitors is paramount. Overall, this course helped me develop knowledge of key workplace safety. I learnt how to identify hazards, how to respond to incidents, and much more.

You previously studied qualifications in Aged Care and Home and Community Care. What made your study experience with Upskilled unique? 

The experience with Upskilled has been very good. When I called to know about the course, the person I spoke to gave a very detailed explanation of its aspects. My trainer, Keith Mogford, helped me through the challenging areas. I found him always well-prepared and ready to help at any given moment. 

The student support team were also nice and ready to assist. I loved the course because I could choose when and where to study, in my own time, with no pressure at all. The material you need is online and readily available. 

What do you think are the main benefits of studying this course? 

In my opinion, the main benefit of this course is to upgrade your skills. In general, to study and get new qualifications is always an advantage. This course in particular has many benefits. 

From my understanding, every workplace needs someone with the knowledge of health and safety, and this course can qualify you to take on more leadership opportunities.

The knowledge of your workplace, as well as others, will be greater than those who didn’t take this kind of course. It may help you to step into supervisory or management positions faster than other employees. 

How did your trainer support you throughout your studies? 

My trainer supported me in several ways. He would send me an email to give me feedback about the assessments or to ask if everything was going fine with my studies.

For each assessment being marked, I received feedback. If the answer wasn’t 100% correct, he would explain why it was and what the correct one would be. He also provided encouragement and advice throughout the course.

What makes WHS interesting? 

 I personally find it very impressive how much you can learn in a single course. The fact that you know about safety issues much more than other employees - it's remarkable. If you’re really committed, you can make your workplace a very safe place.

It’s very important that everyone takes reasonable care of their safety and others. What happens in the workplace can affect your mental and physical health. This course gives you the opportunity to make the workplace better. 

Any advice you’d like to give for future students thinking about studying WHS? 

I would say to take this chance to study WHS. It is an extra skill that you’ll have and not regret studying. Work health and safety is everywhere and in every workplace.

This can be an extra qualification you might end up having on your resume that can come very handy. It gives you more knowledge in the field, covering several aspects of everyday work life. If you’re really committed, it doesn’t take long to complete either. 

Want to help build a safer workplace?

 If you're like Ester and want to make a difference in workplace safety, consider studying the Work Health and Safety certificate with Upskilled. This course is delivered online and can be completed within 18 months.

You will learn subjects such as responding to incidents, workplace monitoring processes, compliance with WHS laws, and more. Get in touch with Upskilled on 1300 009 924 and enquire about the benefits of studying a course in WHS today.