CQUniversity researcher Morwenna Kirwan has hopped, skipped and jumped nimbly between the TAFE and Uni sectors and finds the experience has enhanced her career prospects.

Fresh out of school, Morwenna worked in the banking sector and then studied at both TAFE (fitness) and university (business with an information systems major) at the same time.

Morwenna Kirwan

On completion of her first TAFE qualification (Cert III Fitness), she worked part-time in fitness centres, which funded her business degree studies.

Morwenna then gained employment with CQUniversity as a Learning Management Systems training and development officer, while she continued on to gain her Cert IV Fitness qualification at TAFE.

It was the TAFE qualification which enabled her to become a fitness director on ships cruising around the Caribbean.

"On my return from overseas, I wanted to take fitness further so I enrolled for an undergraduate degree in human movement science," Morwenna said.

The human movements degree led further into sports psychology with Masters research on talent ID within cycling.

Nowadays, Morwenna is completing PhD research on self-management of chronic disease; specifically on the use of mobile phone applications to boost the health of people with diabetes.

"My PhD is a fusion of both my undergrad degrees, that is health and information technology," she said.

In recent years, Morwenna has been employed as a teacher at both TAFE and University and as a trainer at a fitness centre.

"Understanding the training competencies and gaining industry experience has certainly enhanced my understanding of theoretical concepts," she said.

Morwenna agreed there was plenty of potential for students to gain from a closer association between vocational and tertiary education.

She wishes CQUniversity well on its goal to become a 'dual-sector' institution.