Young Vietnamese mum’s Stella job outcome

When Ve Tran visited Employment Plus’ Sunshine site she was facing a number of barriers to employment. She had very little formal education, a limited employment history, language difficulties and was the single mother of two young children.

What Duc Ta, Job Coach at Employment Plus saw, however, was a young, fit, hard worker with determination and a willingness to learn – the ideal candidate for many small businesses in the area.

“Ve was understandably feeling discouraged after unsuccessfully searching for employment since July, and was even considering going back home to Vietnam,” explained Duc.

“We referred Ve to our training provider, Training Plus, to undertake the necessary training to sharpen her job seeking skills.”

Ve completed a course in resume writing, effective jobsearch skills and interview techniques, and then joined Employment Plus’ fortnightly job search group sessions.

Conscious of Ve’s need for flexible working hours, Duc contacted Lu, the business owner of Stella Pizza in Altona and advised him of Ve’s employee attributes and love of cooking.

“Duc Ta explained to me that Employment Plus would be able to assist with any additional training, wage subsidies, tools or clothing required for the role so, after meeting Ve, I employed her as a kitchenhand, cleaner and cook’s assistant,” said Lu.

“She has been a fantastic addition to the business, a quick learner in the role and is fast on the road to making a great pizza!”