Harley first came to Campbell Page straight out of school unsure of what was next for him and how he would go about finding a job.

At his first meeting with his Candidate Coach he was very reserved and quiet for many reasons, but namely, because he was lacking in confidence.

I found it really hard to get motivated. There were some days where getting out of bed and leaving the house were too hard, so finding a job seemed impossible. – Harley

At this stage in his life, Harley was not keen on working because he believed that nobody would employ him. Michelle, his Candidate Coach, was not going to let Harley continue to believe this, so together they started small and began working on Harley’s confidence.

It was important to Michelle that Harley felt he could be employed as a first step because without this self-belief the rest of the work they would do wouldn’t amount to anything Harley could be proud of.

I really needed him to see what we saw in him – potential. – Michelle Bobbin, Campbell Page Candidate Coach.

Once Harley was able to identify his skills, both Michelle and Harley began working on what jobs he could see himself working in and what industries he found interesting. Hospitality work was one of the first areas Harley showed interest in, so he was enrolled in a Hospitality skillset course where he obtained his RSA, RCG and Barista certifications. Harley particularly took to barista work but was concerned with using tills because he did not feel confident with his computer and admin skills.

Even though Harley wasn’t excited to do anything related to admin work, he recognised that there was a gap in his skill set that could be filled by the Certificate III in Business Admin that was being run by Campbell Page.

When Michelle mentioned the course, I was pretty dismissive. I knew admin wasn’t my thing, so my confidence just wasn’t there. – Harley

When Harley agreed to take part in the course, he told Michelle not to get her hopes up because he would most likely fail and disappoint her, but the opposite occurred. Harley thrived throughout the duration of the course. He attended classes every week, built a great network of friends and completed his certificate.

Suddenly, the shy Harley disappeared and was replaced with a happy, confident and enthusiastic young man. – Michelle

Soon after, Harley began putting all of his hard work into practice and applied for jobs. When he was invited to interview for a job at Potoroo Palace Wildlife Sanctuary Cafe, he was nervous and didn’t feel 100% comfortable in his interview clothing, however, he put all of this aside and ended up getting the job.

During his first few weeks, Harley was given the opportunity to gain more skills in new areas. He began working one day per week at Cowsnest Community Farm (part of the Potoroo Palace business) in addition to his role at the Cafe. This experience exposed Harley to working outdoors and with animals which he enjoyed. Harley has been working in this role for 8 months and his confidence and enthusiasm for life are rapidly increasing.

Finding a job has been the best thing for me. My mental health has never been better! – Harley

Campbell Page is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference in our communities. Our jobactive team work with people to help build their strengths to find great jobs and a brighter future.  If you would like to find out more about what we do, please click here to view our About Us page or here to Contact Us directly.