The Chisholm Skills and Jobs Centre (CSJC) has launched an initiative to help young mums prepare for their futures.
Participants in the Young Parents Education Program at Hallam Secondary College can now take part in a new CSJC program called Be Career Wise.
CSJC careers counsellor Viktoriya Fedorova says the program allows the students to take part in one-on-one and group activities to help them focus on their career and work goals.
“Each of the young parents in the program has a different career need,” Viktoriya says. “Some are thinking about further study but are not sure what courses are available, while others need job search skills and some are still trying to figure out their interests.”
To meet this variety of needs, Viktoriya says the CSJC team used career tools, starting with the Employment Readiness Scale assessment, which helped the students to determine whether they were ready for the workforce and identify which areas they needed to improve before starting their job search.
Next, Viktoriya says the John Hollands Self-Directed Search, helped the students explore which career options matched their personality types. Each student also had a one-on-one career counselling appointment to clarify career directions, set goals and plan actions in a non-judgmental and confidential setting.
The program has been extended to include a styling session and free work wardrobe from Groomed to Go, a complimentary hair and beauty session at Chisholm student salons, guided tours of Chisholm campuses and the opportunity to meet teachers and visit classes in the study areas the students are interested in.
“We hope this program will help to set up the young parents to make a smooth transition into the world of work and provide them with the skills to plan a prosperous future for themselves and their children,” Viktoriya says.
If you need job readiness, job search or careers help, contact the Chisholm Skills and Jobs Centre on 9212 4909 or email skillsandjobs@chisholm.edu.au
