James is a mature age, qualified tradesman who has been unable to secure significant employment over the past 5 years. The story of an ex-tradie that is struggling to upskill into a new profession as they get older isn’t an uncommon experience amongst many Australians, however it can feel incredibly isolating to feel that the skills you’ve honed over your life can no longer be put to use.
When James came into the services of Enterprise & Training Company (ETC), he had no Resume, and very limited IT skills.
“When I first met James, he was quite grumpy and reserved, and didn’t seem to want to engage with us. As we slowly got to know him more, we decided to enrol James into a Local Jobs Program called Onwards and Upwards,” said ETC Jobs Advisor, Jess.
The Onwards and Upwards program is designed to assist participants with soft skills, fitness and motivation to look for employment or training opportunities. Outside of the practical benefits of the program, Jess also believed it would be a good opportunity to link James to individuals in similar circumstances to himself.
“When I was able to sit down and listen to other peoples’ stories from the program, I realised I wasn’t alone,” said James.
Halfway through the program, ETC’s Recruitment Advisor, Gio, reached out to James to see if he would be interested in a position that he had found for him.
James was thrilled to get the opportunity, and the employer was impressed with his enthusiasm about the Program and the position; so offered him a Part time role so that James could continue the Program alongside employment.
“Seeing James in the office now feels like talking to a different person, he’s so talkative and upbeat since coming through the Program, and the whole ETC team are so happy to see him in sustainable employment,” said Jess.
As soon as he completed the Program, James was offered a permanent position with the employer.
ETC provides Workforce Australia Services across NSW and QLD, to see if this program is delivered by ETC in your area, view our locations page – Find your closest ETC site >
You can also find a full list of providers across Australia on workforceaustralia.gov.au.
Call our friendly team on 1800 007 400 or fill out the Enquire Now form on this page.
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