Drawing on her experience in Family Violence research and social commentary, Ilsa Evans is part of a team spearheading Family Violence education at Chisholm

Ilsa is passionate about the role of TAFE in providing educational opportunities to all students, and the provision of practical, applied education relevant to industry and community. She also particularly enjoys the diversity and drive of the TAFE classroom.

“TAFE students are motivated and engaged and it is an absolute pleasure to teach them. It’s also incredibly rewarding to watch their journey.”

Ilsa adds that TAFE often attracts many mature age students who are returning to study after some years, but bring a wealth of experience with them.

“Mature age students have so many transferable skills. They have an enhanced appreciation for education and teaching them is always a collaborative effort. I personally identify with them because I was a mature age student myself when I studied for my doctorate”

At Chisholm students studying Family Violence units gain practical skills and experience, assistance with use of technology, time and life management skills and one-on-one time with teachers. Ilsa and her team also work closely with the community services and social work industries to ensure the courses represent the latest research and policy initiatives.

“At Chisholm we network with industry and build relationships with key organisations to ensure that studies are aligned with skills required in the work force. Where placements are involved, some of these actually translate into employment opportunities for the students”

In Ilsa’s experience one common difficulty students may face is the inability to separate their personal experiences and opinions when studying Family Violence. However she believes this can be overcome by teaching different techniques that encourage students to shift their thinking to a more evidence based approach.
Ilsa’s advice to potential students is that Family Violence work while very challenging is also extremely rewarding. Essential is a clear knowledge of sociological processes that impact on the issue.

“In order to be the most effective practitioner however, both for yourself and for your clients, a thorough understanding of the complexities of family violence is essential. Never stop researching and learning”