For young mum Rhiannon, Learn Local held the key to unlocking her career potential.
“I had completed secondary school but I had a baby when I was quite young,” Rhiannon said. “A few years on, I was ready to start work but had no qualifications or experience. I knew that I would love working with people but I didn’t know where to start.”
Rhiannon enrolled in the New Horizons: Hospitality course at the Traralgon Neighbourhood Learning House. This six-week program was designed to give the participants an introduction to the local hospitality industry and build employability skills through practical workshops and on-the-job experience.
“It was FANTASTIC,” Rhiannon said. “I got so much more out of it than I thought I would. The teacher has such a passion for teaching. She was so positive and encouraging. There were lots of laughs, but lots of learning too. It made learning fun.
“The way the course was taught was really empowering, too. It was never ‘you made a mistake, that’s wrong.’ It was ‘ok, you made a mistake, maybe next time you could try it this way.’ It was never negative and that gave me a lot of confidence.”
The program also connected Rhiannon with her dream career – before she even knew what it would be.
“When I first started, I thought that I wanted a job in retail, but in doing the course I developed a real love for hospitality. It is still serving people – just in a different way. Now I’d like to develop my skills over time into a hospitality management position.”
As part of the course, Rhiannon was able to develop hands-on experience and achieve qualifications for employment in the hospitality industry, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and Food Handling.
She was also coached on how to apply for work in the industry, in a special workshop with Recruitment Agency representative Luke Henderson. At the end of the course, Rhiannon was invited to work in a hospitality team at the Sale Races, providing her with valuable experience to include on her resume. It was a light bulb moment for Rhiannon.
“Being chosen to work at the races showed me just how much I grew as a person and how much I learned. Before that, I had limited skills and experience to offer an employer.”
In just six weeks, Rhiannon changed the trajectory of her career. Today, she is employed by the Narkoojee Winery in Glengarry North, where she serves customers as part of the front of house team.
“I love it,” she said.
“Learn Local changed my life in a way that I never thought was possible. It gave me confidence, it helped me to develop skills and it gave me a job opportunity I never thought I could get.””
