Inverell’s Tahnee Capon has been named an Adult Learners Week ambassador after overcoming homelessness while studying to build a career supporting people facing hardship.
The 36-year-old completed Certificates III and IV in Community Services through traineeships with her employer, Rural Outreach and Support Service, while studying through Community College Northern Inland.
But while completing her Certificate III, Capon experienced homelessness herself.
Despite the difficult circumstances, she continued studying and working towards a future in community services.
Moving into Certificate IV alongside stable employment helped Capon rebuild her life, giving her renewed confidence, purpose and direction.
She said combining study with full-time work had transformed the way she approached her career.
Her studies provided the theory and framework behind community services, while her workplace allowed her to put that knowledge into practice supporting people experiencing hardship.
Capon said her confidence had grown significantly, helping her make more informed decisions, communicate with colleagues and better support the people she works with.
Of the skills she has developed, patience has proved particularly valuable, helping her respond calmly and provide respectful support to people navigating difficult periods in their lives.
Capon now works with Rural Outreach and Support Service, drawing on her education and lived experience to help others in the Inverell community.
She has been selected as an ambassador for Adult Learners Week, which runs from September 1 to 8 and promotes the benefits of adult education and lifelong learning.
This year’s theme, Follow Your Compass: Learning for Life, focuses on how education can provide direction, opportunity and the chance to take a new path at any stage of life.
Adult Learning Australia president John Sheen said the week recognised the many ways people continued their education.
“During Adult Learners Week, adult education providers across Australia will be celebrating the many and varied ways people learn together, whether in community settings, workplaces, or through informal learning pathways.”
“This national celebration of learning is a chance to recognise that learning is lifelong, accessible, and deeply connected to opportunity and participation.”
Adult Learning Australia says 44 per cent of Australians aged 15 to 74 have very low literacy skills and 54 per cent have very low numeracy skills.
More than 3.2 million Australians aged 15 to 74 are currently learning, with about 25 per cent studying at adult education or training institutions.
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