Getting a job can change your life

Young man proves that getting a job can change your life.

Having a sense of pride, getting off Centrelink, improved sleep – these are just some of the changes that 20 year old Neil Urquhart is experiencing since he started his new job.

Working as a Food and Beverage Attendant for a local resort, Neil claims he is loving life and hopes his story will help to encourage others.

“This has changed my life drastically. Ever since getting a job, I’ve gained new friends, I’ve been sleeping better, I’m not having to survive off Centrelink payments and I get to do a lot more with my life now,” he said.

“I have a sense of pride within myself, that I’m actually doing something for the community. Sure it may be work, but I love what I’m doing, so is it really work?” he said.

Neil clearly remembers a time not that long ago when stress from undertaking his HSC took a toll on his health.

“I had uneven sleeping patterns, chronic insomnia and just wanted to stay at home all day,” he said.

“So when I finished school, I just wanted to enjoy my life for a while. So I decided not to work for a couple of years and concentrate on improving my mental health.”

When he was finally ready to join the workforce, Neil found it hard to get his foot in the door.

“Having no work experience, I struggled to get a job, no one would give me the time of day. That’s when I approached ETC for help.”

Local employment and training provider ETC saw the need for Neil to undertake training to get him job ready.

“Neil showed a keen interest in the Hospitality industry, so we started him off in our ServeIT and WorkIT courses which provided him with units from the Hospitality training package. Then during his work experience phase the venue decided to hire him as an employee as they were so impressed,” said ETC Training Manager Paula Skinner.

Wanting to further his skills and knowledge, Neil decided to complete the full Certificate III Hospitality qualification in his personal time while working casually.

“I love working in Hospitality. Working behind the bar I get to talk to a variety of people and I really enjoy having these conversations – finding out where they are from, hearing about their travel stories and if they are having a bad day I can try to help fix it,” Neil said.

So what does the future hold for Neil?

“Right now I’m just working and saving so I can move away to University to study Marine Biology, which I’ve wanted to do ever since I was six years old. I’ll also need to work while I’m there to provide an income for myself, so having this Hospitality experience and training now should enable me to get a job easily. So I can still work in what I enjoy while I’m training to do what I’m really passionate about,” he said.

Neil thanked ETC for the support.

“ETC have been amazing. They helped me with getting my first job, gave me all the training that I needed, all my Trainers were lovely.”

Are you interested in a Hospitality career?

The Hospitality industry is a vibrant, dynamic and fast-growing industry. This exciting industry offers many diverse career opportunities and endless choices.

Once qualified, you can work in clubs, pubs, cafés, restaurants or world-class resorts in both Australia and overseas. As a result, there’s a high demand for skilled professionals trained as baristas, qualified as chefs or to deliver alcohol and food service.

Now is the time to get qualified!

Find out what courses we have on offer