Alice builds skills and confidence with Transition to Work

When Alice joined the Transition to Work program at APM Employment Services, she was ready to explore her future but wasn't sure which direction to take.

Like many young people starting their employment journey, Alice had limited work and study experience.

Financial pressures and a lack of confidence also made it difficult to believe in her own abilities.

Working closely with Youth Support Worker Jamie-Lee at APM Hornsby, Alice began exploring different career options to find a pathway that suited her interests and strengths.

Together, they looked at a range of opportunities before Alice decided to try a short retail training course.

The five-day Retail Service Experience course gave Alice practical, hands-on experience and a chance to learn more about the industry.

She enjoyed the course and quickly realised retail was an area she wanted to pursue further.

The program also helped her gain nationally accredited units that could contribute towards future qualifications.

With a clear goal in mind, Alice took the next step and enrolled in a Certificate III in Retail.

What started as a short course soon became the beginning of a much bigger journey.

As Alice progressed through her studies, she showed determination and a strong commitment to achieving her goals.

Early on, she attended study sessions at the APM office, but she found the busy environment made it difficult to concentrate.

Rather than letting this become a barrier, Alice spoke up and worked with Jamie-Lee to find a better solution.

They explored different options and decided that studying from home would suit her learning style more effectively.

The change made a big difference.

With a quieter environment and a study plan that worked for her, Alice was able to stay focused and continue making steady progress.

To help keep her motivated, Alice and Jamie-Lee set a goal to complete her qualification by mid-May.

Alice even chose a small reward for reaching the milestone.

She met her deadline and successfully completed her Certificate III in Retail after seven months of dedicated study.

The achievement was about more than gaining a qualification.

Throughout the process, Alice developed greater confidence in herself and became more comfortable talking about her interests and future plans.

She also began approaching new opportunities with a more positive outlook.

"Jamie-Lee has been very helpful throughout this whole process. Jamie-Lee and the team have created a space that is very calm, friendly and positive."

Having completed her Certificate III in Retail, Alice is already building on her success.

She has enrolled in a Certificate III in Business (Customer Engagement) and continues to develop the skills that will support her future career goals.

Alice's story shows how the right guidance, practical training and personalised support can help young people discover their strengths and create new opportunities for the future.

If you're a young person looking to build skills, explore training or take your first steps towards employment, speak to APM Employment Services to see how we can help.