“In a difficult time to find work, ETC took me on and made my dream become a reality.”
Those were the words by youth Kaitlyn Ward who is now working in her dream job as a Truck Driver.
Kaitlyn, who had been working as a Waitress at her local pub bistro, had lost her position due to the COVID-19 restrictions back in April. Despite this, Kaitlyn had a very clear goal of what she wanted to do, but just needed some help in achieving this.
She joined ETC’s Transition to Work program and worked together with her Youth Advisor Sam and Business Relationship Advisor Kylie.
“We supported Kaitlyn by setting a plan with her career and life goals. We tailored her Resume and Cover Letter to suit HR driver positions, practiced cold calling and helped her to develop some local industry contacts,” Sam said.
“We also met with a local business to get some insight to understand the best way to help Kaitlyn get work in the transport industry.”
“She was very determined to become the best HR driver that she could be and showed her willingness to participate in anything needed to achieve her goal.”
ETC organised for Kaitlyn to undertake a 4 week work experience activity through a connection they had with Daniel & Son Road Transport Pty Ltd.
“They were excited about the opportunity to host Kaitlyn and provided a roster with different shifts and delivery runs to give her the experience in all departments. When I told Kaitlyn about the work experience, she was so excited and grateful and couldn’t wait to start. I have never seen a happier young lady!” said Kylie.
“I kept in weekly contact with both Kaitlyn and the HR Manager. After her first week, the employer was so impressed with Kaitlyn’s work ethic, they mentioned they will potentially be creating a position for her and Kaitlyn was so happy about the experience she was gaining.”
After the 4 weeks work experience concluded, Kaitlyn was offered an official position with the company and ETC assisted her with obtaining a HR License.
“Kaitlyn has fitted in well with our team here at Daniel & Son Road Transport. She has a good work ethic and shows initiative with a great personality. She is eager to learn in all areas of transport. Kaitlyn has now achieved her HR Licence and has adapted to this line of work very well. She is enjoying her trucking duties and can see herself in the industry for a long time,” said Simon Wright the Grafton Depot Supervisor at Daniel & Son Road Transport Pty Ltd.
ETC and the Transition to Work program are very proud of Kaitlyn’s determination to achieve her career goal.
“She has always done everything requested of her, even when it required her to step out of her comfort zone and try something new. She has always presented with a positive attitude and I believe she will go far in her chosen industry because of her pure passion and joy for the job,” said Sam.
Kaitlyn thanked ETC for their support not only during the pandemic, but for helping her to secure her dream job.
“I’ve always been passionate about the transport industry and I only had to tell ETC that and they went straight to work. I would recommend ETC to anybody 110%! Thank you so much for always lending a hand when I needed it!” she said.
Transition to Work (TtW) is for young people aged 15 to 24 years. It is targeted to early school leavers and young people who have experienced difficulty transitioning from education to employment.
If you would like to speak to someone about TtW or to get help to find work during the pandemic, freecall the ETC team on 1800 007 400.
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