As our team spruik all that is wonderful about a career with RNH at the Western Victorian Careers Expo today, please meet some of our team:
Wolfgang Fowler-Dempsey
A discussion with his parents about possible future career paths set off a wonderful chain of events for Warracknabeal Secondary College Year 11 student Wolfgang.
Struggling to decide his future path at the end of Year 9, it wasn’t until his parents posed the simple question “what do you enjoy?” that Wolfgang’s path became clear.
Having a passion for cooking, Wolfgang completed work experience at RNH in 2023…and was quickly hungry for more!
Now undertaking a Certificate 2 in Hospitality through VCAL, Wolfgang works at RNH one day per week learning all aspects of food preparation from making meals to knife skills, as well as other kitchen duties including clean up.
Wolfgang’s future aspiration of becoming a chef/cook has begun, and RNH is supporting this dream to come true having presented the prospect of Wolfgang taking up a Certificate 3 in Commercial Cookery apprenticeship upon him completing school.
“There’s no part of cooking that I don’t enjoy,” Wolfgang said.
“In the kitchen cooking is where I’m the happiest,” he said.
Naming the always-popular golden syrup dumplings as his go-to dish to both cook and eat, Wolfgang hopes to one day become a chef.
Paying homage to the welcoming and nurturing environment at RNH, Wolfgang described everyone he works with as “great people”.
“If a cooking role popped up in the future I would definitely be interested,” he said.
Rori Marshman
For someone who hopes to study nursing in the future, Rori Marshman has made a great start.
Working at our Hopetoun campus on Fridays, Year 12 student Rori is working toward a Certificate 3 in Individual Support as she completes a school-based apprenticeship-traineeship.
Also occasionally assisting in Leisure and Lifestyle, Rori has been able to refine her skills thanks to South West TAFE’s skills van.
Host Robert Peoples brought the van to Hopetoun recently to assess Rori’s competencies in areas including personal care and hygiene, safely handling patients, and lifting.
Enjoying the hands-on training, Rori hopes to get into emergency or theatre nursing when she finishes school.
And this is something RNH may just be able to assist Rori with, having partnered with Federation TAFE to offer Diploma in Nursing traineeships in 2025.
This will allow Rori, and other aspiring nurses, to take the first step toward their dream career.
Kylie O’Connor
RNH is so much more than “just a hospital”, offering its teams ongoing educational and upskilling opportunities.
Take Kylie O’Connor, for example…
Previously working at RNH for 20 years as part of the Environmental Services team, Kylie recently returned to the organisation after taking some time out, now working as a Cook and towards a formal qualification.
“I’ve worked in the industry my whole life and when Workplace Trainer and Careers Advisor Jo Filippe approached the team with some upskilling options, I decided ‘why not?’ and took up the opportunity to get a qualification,” Kylie said.
Now completing a Certificate 3 in Commercial Cookery apprenticeship, Kylie’s day consists of preparing meals as part of the RNH cook-chill process, planning, and catering functions.
“It’s consistent,” she said.
Largely completing the course via on-the-job training, Kylie will be visited by an assessor 2-3 times annually and, impressively, has already completed all of the written work.
Now required to plan and prepare meals for an aged care setting using six different cookery methods, Kylie is enjoying the change of pace and working towards receiving the qualification.