From tradie to support worker

Eddy Moses was forced to have a career change at the age of 44. He found his calling as an alcohol and other drugs (AOD) support worker.

When Eddy Moses became the victim of a crime and lost the use of his left arm, it changed his life forever.

Eddy had worked in the building industry as a bricklayer all his life.

After the incident, doctors said he would never be able to go back to full-time bricklaying and construction work again.

“It was really confronting,” says Eddy. “Life just throws these things at you at times. We had a business going and things were going really well. I had to make a decision on what I’d do for retraining.”

Eddy had always had a knack for building rapport with people, especially in the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector, which he has lived experience in.

When a peer suggested he put that skill to use and get a formal qualification, Eddy began to consider it.

He also had personal reasons for choosing to do Chisholm’s Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs.

“In my younger years I spent time in the prison system,” says Eddy. “It left me thinking, ‘how can I give something back and be of service to my community? That’s when I thought this could be a good first step.”

Eddy thrived at Chisholm, so much so that he was nominated as Vocational Student of the Year at the 2023 Chisholm Education Awards.

After his first semester, he gained employment as a support worker at Ngwala Willumbong, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation that delivers specialist alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation and support to First Nations people.

Eddy works in the Galiamble Men’s Recovery Centre in St Kilda.

“I was just in the right place at the right time and I was blessed with this support work role,” says Eddy.

“They’re happy to finance whatever I want to learn while I continue on in my role. I couldn’t ask for more.”

On a typical shift, after handover he checks in with the clients to see how they are travelling.

His time is then spent building relationships with the men and helping them work towards their goals, doing paperwork and helping contribute to the running of the centre.

Eddy’s goal is to become a harm reduction practitioner.

“I’d love to be involved in outreach work, to build stronger connections with our community and create safe spaces for everyone to feel heard. Empowerment for all – that’s what I stand for.”

Eddy says he couldn’t recommend Chisholm highly enough to others.

“The range of subjects, the support you get offered, along with the clinical science behind everything that gets delivered is why I would choose Chisholm,” he says.

In his free time, Eddy loves spending time with his partner and two sons, doing jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, being in the outdoors, fishing, hunting and four-wheel driving.