Julie’s Learning Journey
Julie Brownlie never thought she’d be studying a Certificate IV in Bookkeeping online course when she started her Treasurer role at the local community centre a few years ago. After studying accounting 40 years ago, and with a daughter who is also in the accounting industry, Julie thinks that accounting must be in her blood, “I definitely have a natural interest in bookkeeping and accounting that’s always been there, but the course has given me the confidence to really make a difference in my community”.
Julie lives in Noorinbee North, approximately 6 hours east of Melbourne, and loves her small community of about 160 people. But after the community centre suffered fraudulent activity in 2016, Julie realised she needed to up-skill and make sure it didn’t happen again.
‘It was really heartbreaking when it all happened; we didn’t know what the legal rights of the committee members were, and it was so hard to know what to do” said Julie.
Julie was selected to study the bookkeeping course as part of the ICAN with MYOB program – a collaborative venture between Monarch Institute, MYOB and Infoxchange, which gives people with a wide range of ages, cultural and social backgrounds, and abilities the opportunity to become qualified bookkeepers.
This program aims to bridge the technology divide that further compounds this disadvantage. Julie has enjoyed every minute of the course so far, even though she has to plan her study time around her Meniere’s disease, which affects the inner ear, and often leaves her dizzy and off balance. “The good thing about it being an online course is that I can study when it suits me, and with my Meniere’s, sometimes I need to take time out for a few days but other weeks I might get 30 hours of study in”.
The ICAN with MYOB program will run full-time for 12 months. It will give students the digital skills they need, not only to become bookkeepers but to thrive in the digital economy. For Julie, it’s been a life-changing experience, “I’ve got the confidence to walk into a committee meeting and advise on the proper ways to do things. It’s challenging at times, but if an old duck like me can do it, anyone can!”
For more information on the ICAN with MYOB Program, contact Monarch Institute on 1300 738 955.
