Tania* is a young indigenous woman from the LGBTIQA+ community. She connected with atWork Australia’s Workforce Australia team in Corrimal, NSW, after spending most of her adulthood years unemployed.
Tania has just relocated to Corrimal from Queensland after experiencing homelessness.
When Tania connected with atWork Australia she was living in emergency accommodation, she lacked trust due to past trauma and was hesitant to engage with the atWork Australia team.
Due to the trauma Tania has experienced and her limited employment history, she had limited skills and qualifications. She had low literacy and numeracy, limited digital skills and no driver’s licence. As a result of her limited experience, Tania’s confidence in her ability was low.
When Tania met her Job Coach, Aimee, she was very resistant to engage. Overtime, Aimee worked to build rapport with Tania and eventually gained her trust.
To begin developing Tania’s skills and confidence, Aimee encouraged her to attend atWork Australia’s Jobs for the Mob and Indigenous Connections programs. Both programs provided an opportunity to build her employability skills and develop a positive mindset to progress on her employment journey.
As Tania began to engage in the programs, she felt more comfortable to let her walls down and speak openly with Aimee. She shared that years ago she had worked in fast food chains and that she enjoyed working in customer service roles.
Now with a clear focus on the industry Tania would like to work in, she attended atWork Australia’s First Steps to Success event. The event brings together a range of local employers and service providers to give clients an opportunity to network and discover what opportunities are available.
As the pair continued working together, Tania began to secure a variety of interviews. With the support of atWork Australia and the employment assistance fund, Aimee supported Tania to purchase interview clothing, provided transport assistance and food vouchers to help reduce the financial pressure until she secured employment.
After each interview, Tania took positive learnings and continued to build her confidence to return to work.
Through consistent effort the team secured Tania an interview at Subway. The job was close to home, easy to commute using public transport and suitable for Tania’s experience.
Tania was excited about the opportunity. She attended the interview and was asked to start work the following day.
Tania is now looking to expand her knowledge and education to progress into the management team.
As an alternative method of transport, Aimee has purchased a bike for Tania, allowing her to easily commute to and from work.
“I am so thankful for the support of my Job Coach, Aimee and atWork Australia. I am really excited to see what the future holds. Aimee is a legend. I could not have done this without her,” said Tania.
Every year, atWork Australia help thousands of clients like Tania expand their skills and qualifications to help them gain the right job with the right employer. Call us today on 1300 080 856 or enquire online to find out how we can help you meet your career goals.
*the client name has been changed
