Mollie Testro
Mollie Testro – Chisholm Education Awards Trainee of the Year 2024
In Year 10, Mollie wasn’t enjoying high school and was close to quitting.
She was shy, lacked confidence and, like many students, didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.
Fortunately, her school career counsellor suggested Mollie check out the range of education pathways and diverse courses available at Chisholm Institute of TAFE.
She didn’t choose a casual after-school job at the local mall. Instead, Mollie found casual work as a Dental Assistant.
Her employers at the Dental House Group in Bacchus Marsh were so pleased with her dedication, they offered Mollie a School-based Traineeship for Year 11.
She started a Certificate III in Dental Assisting, combined with a School-based Traineeship.
Her weekly routine was demanding, and totally different to her old high school timetable; but Mollie thrived with those differences. She enjoyed the demands of working 34 hours each week at the dental clinic, plus a day each week at high school, and the equivalent of one day per week engaged in online learning with Chisholm and working on assignments.
Working at Dental House Group, Mollie realised that the more she put in, the more she would be encouraged and the more she would benefit. She put the fun times on hold and concentrated on her studies and work. She became curious to learn, even helping in other areas of the dental clinic.
By the time she was 18, Mollie had completed her dental traineeship, her Certificate III, VCE with a Vocational Major and had blossomed into a phenomenal dental assistant. As a result, Mollie was earning a good salary, compared to many of her friends who were just starting their first year of higher education or starting work.
She had shrugged off all the shadows of high school and became confident to ask questions and help fellow students, despite being the youngest in her classes.
As a result, Mollie has been promoted to being one of the lead nurses in general anesthetics, assisting the Principal Dentist at the dental clinic – rare for a student who has only just turned 18. She is the lead trainer of new trainees at the clinic and is a popular mentor to them.
Awarded Trainee of the Year in the 2024 Chisholm Education Awards, Mollie is a great reminder that the traditional high school pathway is not right for everyone; you just have to find the right pathway for you.
Interested in exploring the courses or pathways that might be right for you? Read School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship.