Like many parents across Australia, Jasmine faced a few hurdles when she wanted to return to work and start a new career.
An early school leaver, Jasmine, 23, wasn’t sure which type of job would be best for her.
And Jasmine, a single-mum, was also struggling to find suitable daycare for her two young children.
It was when she joined the ParentsNext program at her local APM Employment Services in Melton, that Jasmine was able to access the right support.
ParentsNext is a flexible program to support parents with children under six years old.
The service helps parents with a tailored program that understands the various challenges of being a parent and providing support to be successful in life as well as supporting employment goals.
The APM team enabled Jasmine to identify and define her goals and get moving towards greater financial independence.
These included finding short and long-term employment goals, practical study options and suitable childcare.
With a long-term goal of becoming a dance teacher, Jasmine wanted to find work that would fit in around her immediate responsibilities.
Jasmine decided the disability sector was strong place to start and set herself the goal of securing work as a disability support worker.
She began studying a Certificate IV in Disability and secured a support worker role to gain practical experience alongside her study.
The ParentsNext team provided Jasmine with a laptop and software to complete her study, as well as assisting her with NDIS screening and a Working with Children Check (WWCC) for employment.
Jasmine has now completed her Certificate IV in Disability and continues to enjoy her work as a support worker.
She praised the support of ParentsNext Planner Elisabeth, and the rest of the ParentsNext team at APM Melton for helping her achieve her goals and become financially independent.
“Each time I attended the APM office, I was welcomed and felt comfortable,” she said.
- Head to our ParentsNext page to find out more about the program.