A young Nelligen woman has parlayed her love for animals into a thriving small business.
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Former beauty therapist Chloe Short, 20, has long had an affinity with animals, tending to a menagerie of pets growing up on her family's picturesque property.
But a decision to enrol in a Certificate III in Animal Studies followed by a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing at TAFE NSW has change the course of her professional life and led her to an unlikely business venture.
After stints in two local vet clinics, Ms Short last year launched CS Animal Services, which has grown from a business tending to domestic pets to a focus on pregnancy testing and artificial insemination of cows.
It comes amid strong projected growth in demand for vet nurses nationally, with Labor Market Insights predicting the number of vet nurses will grow by 70 per cent from 2023 to 2026.
"I've always loved the idea of being my own boss so I took a gamble and started CS Animal Services as a side business microchipping and nail clipping pets, and doing some pet sitting," Ms Short said.
But after travelling to New Zealand on a study tour of the cattle industry, Ms Short fell in love with the idea of working with cattle, pivoting her business to a preg testing and artificial insemination operation.
The gamble paid off and Ms Short has attracted clients from across NSW.
"There's always a little bit of a pause when people ask what I do for work," she said. "People ask things like 'are you not grossed out by having your hand inside a cow?', but I love my job.
"I love cattle but I never thought I would own a successful business like this at 20.
"TAFE NSW really helped me build my skills and confidence.
"I learned so much about anatomy and my teacher was so knowledgeable about large animals; it really put me ahead of the game."
When cattle breeding season slows down, Ms Short reverts to working more with domestic pets.
TAFE NSW animal studies teacher Katie Lyons said Ms Short was a powerful example of how TAFE NSW's connection with industry and practical skills offered meant graduates were in high demand.
"TAFE NSW gives students those hands-on, practical skills to be job-ready on day one," Ms Lyons said.
"There's such a high need for jobs like vet nurses, vet receptionists, animal attendants and kennel hands, and there will be an even higher demand for those jobs in future."
