Career Transition Assistance helps turn confidence into new careers

Finding the right support at the right time has helped two mature-aged jobseekers turn their search into promising new employment opportunities.

Wayne and Jomena recently participated in IntoJobs’ Career Transition Assistance (CTA) program, which supports people aged 45 and over who are looking to return to the workforce or move into a new career.

Delivered by Mas National, CTA combines small group sessions with one-on-one support, helping participants identify their transferable skills, build job search and interview skills, and develop greater confidence using technology. Participants also receive individualised support to set employment goals and explore new opportunities.

Wayne said the program helped rebuild his confidence and gave him practical tools to approach his job search differently.

CTA Facilitator Melanie Gartner connected Wayne with a free GPS training course and worked with him to strengthen his résumé. The results quickly followed, with Wayne describing himself as being “swamped with calls” from prospective employers and receiving offers from eight companies.

Wayne recently accepted an All-round Operator role with a leading earthworks contractor in Perth. He said CTA had made a significant difference at a time when he felt his job search was moving in the wrong direction.

“The course and the way it’s run gave me the confidence and ways to move forward when I felt like I was going backwards,” he said.

For Jomena, personalised support through CTA similarly helped strengthen both her job search skills and her belief in what she had to offer an employer.

With Melanie’s support, she refined her résumé and job application techniques and developed greater confidence in presenting her skills and experience. When an opportunity arose for an Administrative Assistant role, Melanie also provided a reference and supported Jomena through the recruitment process.

Jomena was subsequently offered the position and said the support she had from Melanie helped build her sense of self-belief.

“I can’t express how appreciative I am of everything Mel has done for me and all the time she put into getting me set up for success. It means the world to have someone in my corner.”

For Wayne and Jomena, the combination of practical assistance, personalised guidance and encouragement has helped translate their existing experience into new opportunities. Melanie Gartner said both participants had been committed to achieving their employment goals and made the most of the support available.

“Wayne and Jomena came to the program with different experiences and employment goals, but both really embraced the support available through CTA,” she said. “It was wonderful to see them begin to believe in the skills and experience they already had to offer employers. Watching them both move into work is exactly the kind of outcome we hope for.”