With Australians spending a record $69 billion in online shopping in 2024 and one report predicting that by 2032 30% of all spending will be online, businesses are gearing up by sharpening their digital skills. Upskilling workers through accessible training can help bridge demand for the 370,000 additional digital workers the Future Skills Organisation estimates Australia will need by 2026. Burleigh Heads local Kayla Reynolds embodies this shift, having moved from a decade-long career on the shop floor to leading marketing for a busy fashion online retailer. She has transitioned her career thanks to the support of her employer Coco Willow and the practical, hands-on learning she received at TAFE NSW.
Kayla credits completing a Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication at TAFE NSW Digital, her dedication, and the support from her workplace traineeship as the keys to her success.
During her traineeship, she was promoted to Brand Manager, a role she embraced by applying her learning directly to Coco Willow’s fast-paced ecommerce environment.
“My TAFE NSW study helped me learn marketing strategy to further my knowledge and help the business grow. It also gave me confidence in a professional setting to speak up and present ideas. My teacher Leanne was so encouraging and helpful. You could ask anything, as she was so focussed on sharing her industry experience to help us consolidate our learning,” Kayla said.
Coco Willow Director and Founder Dyan Thais is a strong advocate for traineeships.
“I’m very happy to support extra education as I find that both the business and trainees benefit from the practical and hands-on experience in a fast-moving environment,” she said.
Dyan encourages other businesses to explore traineeships but advises a considered approach. “I’ve been strategic about employing people first before putting them into a traineeship. It’s a big commitment for the trainee and the business, so choosing an existing employee means I know they’ll have that commitment. Kayla is my third trainee at Coco Willow, which shows this method is the secret to success.”
“I’m so proud of Kayla. She has grown alongside our business, and her skill set has matured immensely.”
TAFE NSW’s online study options broaden access to employers and trainees anywhere in NSW, removing one of the biggest barriers for regional and remote businesses.
TAFE NSW Teacher in Digital, Business, and Finance, Leanne Cherry, said Kayla’s success story shows what’s possible when business and education work hand-in-hand.
“We provide specialised delivery of the Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication to trainees that supports businesses in building capacity and real-world skills in this key area. Trainees join their classmates virtually to study one day a week from anywhere in NSW and apply what they learn directly in their workplace.
“Our students study foundational and core marketing and communication concepts and apply them in ways that suit today’s fast-paced work environments. It’s exciting to see how they grow throughout their traineeship.
“Trainees come from a broad range of industries which vary in size, and this showcases how versatile and valuable these skills are for businesses in NSW, supporting a skilled, digitally savvy workforce now and into the future.”
