Working in the Tasmanian Wine Industry
Read how Ludmila’s passion landed her in Tasmania’s wine industry
If wine isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of science and laboratories, you’re not alone. But for Brazilian-born Ludmila Anunciacao Nascimento, there was no question about her future career path. We spoke to Ludmila all about her journey to working in the renowned Tasmanian wine industry.
Moving to Tasmania
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Universidade Salvador in Brazil, Ludmila decided to move to Australia. She spent her first two and a half years on the Gold Coast in Queensland before making the move to Tasmania.
For Ludmila, Tasmania presented the opportunity to continue her education in a field that she was passionate about. It also offered her the chance to acquire a permanent visa.
“I decided to study for a Diploma of Laboratory Technology, as the course was closely related to the work I used to do in Brazil as a research assistant. Studying in Tasmania also provided a pathway to a permanent visa in Australia.”
Exploring Tasmania
For many international students, the first few months away from home can be overwhelming. You're building a new life in an exciting city but also have academic requirements to fulfill.
At first, Ludmila struggled to balance her new workload with the desire to explore her new state and everything it had to offer.
“In the beginning, I had classes four to five days per week. This made it a bit hard to have time to work and discover Tasmania at the same time. But when my classes were reduced, I was finally able to enjoy the beauty of Tasmania.”
Once Ludmila began exploring Tasmania and experiencing the unique lifestyle of the island state, she began to realise that this was somewhere she wanted to live permanently.
“I love the way people live here, the quality of Tasmanian products, the lifestyle and the job opportunities. I also go bushwalking and camping when I can.”
Building a career
With Tasmania’s abundance of world renowned wineries and Ludmila’s laboratory technology qualification, Ludmila knew there was a real opportunity for her to find a job in Tasmania and make her dream of staying here a reality.
Ludmila explains, “Since arriving in Tasmania, I have visited many wineries and had many wine tastings. I decided I wanted to get a job as a laboratory technician in this field so I could work with wine analysis.”
Once Ludmila graduated from TasTAFE, she began searching for lab technician positions at local Tasmanian wineries and soon found her very first role in the industry.
“I worked as a vintage laboratory technician at Bay of Fires Wines. It was very exciting to work producing wine. I was learning every day, not only about the process and analysis of the grapes, but also about Tasmanian workplace procedures.”
Ludmila’s Bay of Fires Wines experience led her to an exciting new laboratory technician role with Winechek, which she is starting this month.
A future in Tasmania
During the vintage (grape harvesting) season, Ludmila lived in the northern Tasmanian town of Low Head and really enjoyed having the opportunity to explore the natural environment that surrounded her home.
“The house where I lived was right near the beach. There were activities such as penguin tours and bushwalking, plus there was a lighthouse with a beautiful lookout.”
For her new role with Winechek, Ludmila is looking forward to returning to Tasmania’s capital city of Hobart to be closer to her job.
Ludmila isn’t planning on leaving Tasmania anytime soon. She is considering doing a Master’s degree at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) at some stage.
“I am planning to do either a Master of Science or Engineering, which will allow me to apply for even better job positions in the future,” Ludmila says.
Having successfully built herself a rewarding career and life in Tasmania, Ludmila recommends the state to other international students as well.
Ludmila says, “Move to Tassie. You won’t regret it. Tasmania is a magical place that I fell in love with. The people here are very friendly…and there’s plenty of work”.