atWork Australia offers a range of tailored pre-employment programs to support our Indigenous clients into work. Our goal is to find meaningful employment opportunities for our clients. However, it is important for us to work with our clients to ensure the foundations for achieving success are set before considering taking that step.
Programs including Jobs for the Mob, and Mob Care, bring together Indigenous clients, business and the community to educate, collaborate and thrive through employment.
Throughout these programs, atWork Australia hosts external community organisations, and employers to meet with the groups to motivate, encourage and support them to achieve their goals.
“A workshop was designed for clients to be in a fun space by painting Indigenous artwork whilst talking about their life goals,” said atWork Australia’s Indigenous Connections Coach, Kathleen, based in New South Wales.
“This allowed clients to relax and open up to each other in a supportive setting. We saw clients inspire and push each other towards their goals which was more impactful and resulted in some clients with low motivation, now feeling more motivated to taking that next step towards employment.”
These tailored programs support our clients in ways that works best for them, creating many pathways for building connections so clients can find the support that works best for them.
Success stories
Robin is a role model to her family and the community.
Robin, mother to ten children, connected with Workforce Australia looking for full time work to support her family.
Her previous employment had cut back on her hours, which had affected her confidence. Determined to provide for her family, Robin met Indigenous Connections Coach, Kathleen, at the atWork Australia Mount Druitt office.
The team worked with Robin to deliver tailored support to help her meet her short-term goal of employment and her long-term goal of financial stability.
As part of this plan she was connected to pre-employment facilitator, Shameer to engage with Indigenous specific programs to support her on her journey to employment.
Robin participated in yarning circle Mob Care and then enrolled in the Jobs for the Mob program
“Connecting her with culturally relevant job opportunities including an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander organisation in Whalan, ensured she felt a sense of belonging and purpose, making the support especially meaningful,” said pre-employment facilitator Shameer.
Robin is now working with a logistics company in a stable role she enjoys.
Joshua is determined to be a good role model
Joshua is a young Indigenous man. At 20 years-old, Joshua has taken on the responsibility of the provider and role model for his family. Joshua lives with his siblings and cousins.
This journey has not been easy for Joshua and the last nine months have been even more difficult as he has been unemployed.
This period of unemployment has been impacting Joshua’s self-esteem and confidence. Joshua was feeling a strong responsibility to support his family. Due to the pressures, he placed on himself, he connected with atWork Australia’s Workforce Australia team for tailored support on his employment journey.
When Joshua met his Indigenous Connections Coach, Kathleen, at the Mount Druitt office in NSW, he spoke openly about the challenges he was facing. Joshua shared his family responsibilities, that he had limited work experience, no drivers licence and he felt responsible to support his family, but he was losing confidence in his ability to do so.
Joshua shared with Kathleen that his short and long -term goals both reflect his desire to support his family and be a role model in his community. His short- term goal is to find stable employment so he can financially support his family. While long term he wants to be a role model for his younger siblings, instilling in them the values of hard work and persistence.
Kathleen listened to Joshua’s concerns and reassured him that by reaching out and seeking support, he had taken the first step towards returning to work.
Kathleen recommended that Joshua attended atWork Australia’s Jobs for the Mob (JFTM) program. The program is designed to support Indigenous clients to develop their fundamental employability skills.
Joshua learnt valuable skills throughout the program. However, he found it difficult to fully engage due to feeling inadequate.
A key turning point in Joshua’s journey was when he attended MobCare and met facilitator, Shameer. Their discussion reignited Joshua’s motivation, leading Joshua to continue participating in JFTM with renewed determination and focus.
