Having completed Year 11, Danny was struggling with mental health issues and did not know what they wanted to do in life. After years of struggling, in January 2023, Danny started Asuria’s Transition to Work program at Asuria’s Frankston office, where they met Youth Mentor Bronwyn.
Discussing Danny’s experience, Bronywn could see that Danny was not ready to enter the working world and would benefit more from completing a course. With Danny resonating with this idea, the two worked to find something to help Danny get back into a routine and build up the courage to pursue their true dream: studying a Diploma in Acting.
After looking at several suitable options, Danny decided to undertake a Certificate III in Business. Bronwyn assisted Danny in registering for their new course, providing positive encouragement to help Danny find the motivation to see it through.
Now that Danny had made the first big step toward a new future, Bronwyn turned her focus to other areas Danny might need support in. Through this, she learned that Danny had been trying to get their driver’s license but could not complete their required hours due to a lack of support, as no one in their circle drove or had access to a car.
To ensure they could reach their next goal of learning to drive, Asuria provided Danny with $700 worth of driving lessons through PACE driving school. They began to build their road confidence and driving skills. This support gave Danny a running start, but they still needed additional support to reach their end goal of completing their hours and gaining a provisional driver’s license.
During this time, Asuria’s Transition to Work team had been working to break down the barriers preventing young people from obtaining their licenses, and the difficulty it brings in finding suitable employment. They turned to the Victorian Government’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) L2P program, an initiative designed to assist eligible young Victorian learner drivers access a supervising driver or an appropriate vehicle to help them learn to drive. Once accepted into the program, learner drivers are matched with fully licensed volunteer mentors and provided access to program cars to gain supervised driving experience.
To help Danny reach their license as soon as possible, Asuria Regional Manager Nikki reached out to L2P Frankston Coordinator Sally to see if Asuria Youth Mentors could act as driving instructors for participants. This was accepted, meaning Danny could reach their license sooner by learning to drive with familiar faces from the Asuria Frankston team.
Aware that Danny was overcoming a lot of big challenges within a short time frame, Bronwyn referred them to Asuria’s Allied Health services to ensure their mental health could receive the support it needed to keep going. This has helped to get Danny across the line, finishing their course and proving to themselves that it is possible to achieve their goals.
“Danny has come so far in their journey, and we are all so proud to see the achievements they have made in such a short time!” says Dae, Asuria Activity Coordinator.
Danny is currently working towards finishing the last of their driving hours, which will open Danny up to more job opportunities in the future. Danny has also taken the step of enrolling in a Diploma of Acting, the course of their dreams.
“Finishing my certificate has given me the confidence to do anything I put my mind to,” says Danny.
Learning to believe in their abilities has helped Danny to surpass the barriers that were holding them back, and start to imagine a whole new world of possibilities. If, like Danny, you’re between the ages of 15-24 and looking for support to get the skills, experience, and qualifications needed for a pathway into work or study, click here to learn about Asuria’s Transition to Work Services.
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