Asuria participant Ashleigh had her hands full, home-schooling two teenage daughters and caring for her one-year-old baby when she joined Asuria’s ParentsNext services in October 2021.
After being out of work for 14 years, Ashleigh was determined to break her long-term unemployment, but with finishing school after year ten and no formal qualifications, the road ahead seemed like a challenge.
During her first appointment at Asuria’s ParentsNext office in Werribee, Ashleigh was introduced to Support Mentor, Malaine, who was ready to provide unconditional support towards Ashleigh’s goals. Ashleigh had expressed a desire to build up formal training, so Malaine’s first action was to find a suitable course. Seeing Ashleigh’s interest in retail work, Malaine enrolled her in a Certificate III in Retail to help her gain the skills and confidence to pursue retail work.
In support of her studies, Asuria purchased a laptop for Ashleigh, equipping her with the tools to succeed. Through every class and assessment, the ParentsNext team offered encouragement and support to ensure Ashleigh could stay on top of her coursework.
Once Ashleigh had a strong grasp on her studies, the next course of action was to look for work that would match her new qualification and training. To transition her into work, Asuria assisted Ashleigh in securing a National Police Check, finessing her resume and practising for interviews.
When a part-time role became available at Garden Feast Nursery Café, Malaine contacted Ashleigh to see if she would be interested. As the job would utilise her new skillset, Ashleigh eagerly submitted her details in the hopes of securing the role. This proved successful, and Ashleigh started her new job as a Café and Retail Assistant in October 2022.
Ashleigh’s role sees her assisting members of the Werribee community in making purchases through the business's retail storefront and café, providing a high level of customer service at all times. As a bonus, working at The Garden Feast Nursery Café doubles as work placement, which has fulfilled a major requirement of her certification.
Speaking fondly of Ashleigh, Malaine says, “Ashleigh is a super mum with this amazing attitude to get the job done. She is a great example of being tenacious and focused on building herself and her children a better future. I’m glad Asuria Werribee could be part of her fulfilling journey.”
Since settling into her role, Ashleigh feels a new sense of optimism for the future and is ready to take on each new challenge with newfound confidence.
“My journey with Asuria has been a very pleasurable and rewarding experience. I cannot thank my mentor, Malaine, enough for being so supportive and giving me the opportunity to better my skills and knowledge. Not only was I able to complete my courses which I thoroughly enjoyed, but doing it also gave me a sense of achievement.
I was lucky enough to find part-time employment by completing my course. I am very grateful and enjoy every minute of being in the workforce,” shared Ashleigh.
At Asuria, we’re here to help you reach your goals, whether they are career-driven or family-focused. To find out more about our ParentsNext program, click here.
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