Albion Park woman Jude Goodair wins TAFE award after accident forces change of career

Mrs Goodair had been a hairdresser from the age of 15 and was running her own mobile salon when the roof of a caravan she was renovating collapsed and injured her in 2020.

She suffered protruding discs in her spine and pinched sciatic nerves, which got so bad she could not walk.

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It meant Mrs Goodair could no longer carry all her heavy equipment to her client's homes nor stand for very long, even after a successful surgery to relieve the issue.

In her hospital bed, she said, she realised she would probably no longer be able to go out to customers, many of whom found it difficult to leave the house for a hair cut.

"That was my 'aha' moment, of 'Well if I can't help people in that way, how can I help?'" Mrs Goodair said.

She considered what other areas she had skills in and settled on administration.

She had volunteered for the Albion Park Netball Club doing administration work, and did the books for her own business.

This prompted her to research TAFE courses and after her spinal surgery she enrolled at Shellharbour TAFE to study her Certificate III in Business Administration.

Mrs Goodair not only finished that course, but she has since completed her Certificate IV and is now undertaking a Diploma of Business.

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She has been so successful in her studies that she has been named Technology and Business Student of the Year at the TAFE NSW Excellence Awards.

"It was surreal; it was a shock, I did not expect to win," Mrs Goodair said.

TAFE Shellharbour's business administration head teacher Jodie Moes said Mrs Goodair was "an exceptional student and person" and "a real leader in the class".

Mrs Goodair continues as secretary for the Albion Park Netball Club but has also moved into work with the Illawarra District Netball Association.

She said she was able to put a lot of what she learnt into practise in these roles.

Mrs Goodair knows she wants to work in administration in some form into the future, but is "open to what life throws" at her.

"At the moment, my theory is just go with the flow. I'm not limiting myself to one avenue," she said.

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