The Brite Pathways program is a great option for young people with disability looking to transition from school into a job or even further training. During the program, our trainers and coaches work closely with students to help them develop personal skills such as self-awareness, money, and working with others, as well as a number of skills for the workplace.
In 2021, one of our students, Susannah, completed the first year of the Brite Pathways program. During that time she was able to achieve both a 22301VIC Certificate I in Transition Education and a 22555VIC Certificate I in Initial Adult Literacy and Numeracy, and has now moved on to further her education with a CHC43415 Certificate IV in Leisure and Health.
We recently talked with Susannah about her time in the Brite Pathways program, how what she learned there has helped her in her current qualification, and how the training at Brite has helped her take steps towards her future career. Read on to learn more about the Brite Pathways program, and Susannah’s response to some frequently asked questions.
Why the Brite Pathways program?
With a passion for working in the aged-care industry, Susannah had her eye on the industry she wanted to have a career in from the get go.
“[I found] the Brite [Institute] website through a former supported employment referral and wanting to join a course to help with my future career. I was invited to do the Pathways program as the course I wanted to do at Brite institute wasn’t offered at the time. I haven’t studied for a while and I was keen to study a course that would help build my future in employment. The trainer would say this course isn’t about getting a job, [it was about] building a career.”
By choosing to study the Brite Pathways program, Susannah was able to both re-immerse herself in studying, and gain coaching and guidance from her mentor at Brite.
Through this mentoring, Susannah was able to hone in on the particular roles within the aged-care industry she was interested in pursuing: Lifestyle Carer / Officer.
What does the Brite Pathways program teach students?
The Pathways program is a hands-on program that aims to help students learn skills to prepare themselves for their future careers – but also in taking care of themselves.
“I gained skills in employment for the workplace and to manage daily living to support any ongoing work commitments, such as health and well-being. [Learning to do] as much I can on my own for my independence.”
Throughout 2021 many of the Brite Institute students were forced to make the sudden transition to online study. The advantage of the Brite Pathways program during this time was the relationship and rapport our trainers had built with students and their families. As a key element of the Pathways program is to set students up for success by focusing first on self-awareness, working with others, and study skills, students like Susannah were able to transition to online study more easily.
“[I learned] study skills for my future studies in an online environment during lockdown. It helped transition to online learning through zoom meetings with the trainer and classmates. Understanding working in groups through breakout rooms. The face-to-face learning was easier to communicate between classmates in a group, and it was a highlight of meeting each other rather than being on the screen. [Through working with others] I gained friendship from my classmates to enhance a supportive team learning environment. [And we had] fun playing Kahoot at the end of the class.”
What role does one-on-one coaching play in the Pathways program?
Our Bite pathways coaches help students through individualised, one-on-one coaching. Our coaches help students through each step of the program and help prioritise work, set goals, and encourage those students who do go on to seek work.
“Having an employment coach empowered me to stick to my goals through accountability and commitment. I was able to build a professional relationship with my employment coach and build upon my understanding on my strengths and weaknesses. I felt I had the freedom to develop my dream goals and follow them through with the assistance of my coach.
“The one-on-one coaching assisted me in becoming more self-aware of myself and my own goals to achieve success. We worked through a discovery manual and also assisted in going over the exercises in the learning to understand any of the content. It was a relaxed way of following up week by week on keeping track with my individual goals and making small steps to achieve them.
“I was encouraged to follow my goal in applying for volunteer work. When I found that I wasn’t able to volunteer due to the lockdown, I applied for employment. My coach was able to be a referee for my employment application. I was able to obtain work and my coach, and I will work through the skills of working and study together.”
Congrats Susannah!
While Susannah may not have finished the full two-year Brite Pathways program, once she was confident with the abilities she was learning within the course, Susannah made the decision to move on to a more relevant course for her future career in aged-care. Through the skills and encouragement she received from the Brite Pathways program, Susannah was able to secure open employment as a casual Kitchen Assistant and is now halfway through completing a CHC43415 Certificate IV in Leisure and Health.
Congratulations on all of your hard work and achievements Susannah – we’re excited to see where you go throughout your aged-care career.
If you’d like to learn more about our Brite Pathways program visit our training page, feel free to get in touch via our contact form (make sure to select your subject as “pathways (SLES)!”).
Brite Institute is a Registered Training Organisation and a Learn Local provider RTO 3834.