Kanlaya struggled to secure employment upon her arrival in Australia from Thailand.
Her English language skills were her main barrier.
The team at APM Tweed Heads South encouraged and assisted Kanlaya to attend English language classes.
With support from TAFE, Kanlaya completed a Certificate III in Aged Care, but still found difficultly securing employment due to her English language skills.
Kanlaya then decided to study childcare and completed a Certificate III in Childcare, with additional support from TAFE.
Once completed, Kanlaya attended a few interviews without success. EC Sue Germann encouraged Kanlaya to volunteer at local childcare centres, to establish relationships, build networks, gain experience, and build confidence.
Sue also reverse marketed Kanlaya to local childcare centres and helped to build a resume that showed the multi-cultural skills Kanlaya can offer the children at a centre.
She gained an interview with a centre that already employed staff from a non-English speaking background and could see the value Kanlaya could bring.
Kanlaya was successful in her interview and offered employment - and then Kindycare, where Kanlaya was volunteering, decided to offer her employment also, rather than lose her!
Kanlaya was thrilled to now be working in a local centre and be employed at aged 50!
Kanlaya enjoys cooking dishes from her native country and teaching the children some basic Thai words.
Injury, illness or disability and want to work?
You could be eligible for help in finding a suitable job from APM Employment Services.
As Australia’s largest provider of the Disability Employment Services program we help thousands of people with permanent or temporary disabilities, injuries, mental health conditions and other diagnosed barriers which may prevent them finding successful employment.
If you want to find out more, register with us today, or call our team on 1800 276 276 for more information.
Looking for staff?
We don’t just support job seekers, we also help thousands of employers find reliable staff and access government incentives when hiring new employees.
If you’re an employer, you could access wage subsidies, plus funds for training and workplace modifications when hiring a person with disability for full or part-time work.
Plus, you will be enhancing the diversity of your business while making a real positive difference in a person’s life.
Find out more about this rewarding opportunity for employers by speaking to your nearest APM Employment Services team, or emailing support@apm.net.au.