Good News Story
Brendan’s story
Brendan’s passion for learning and growing really stood out during his time in MTC’s Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program, and it helped him land a role with Green Connect.
Meet Brendan, a native English speaker, born across the Tasman in New Zealand and brought up in Australia, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. Now in his mid-50s, Brendan is as enthusiastic and energetic as someone half his age. He challenges himself every day to learn new skills.
When Brendan started the Sklls for Education and Employment (SEE) Program at MTC Cabramatta, he had very limited digital skills, but through dedicated effort, he learned how to create spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and much more. Since English is his first language, he initially believed he didn’t need to focus on improving his literacy, language, and numeracy (LLN) skills. But he soon realised that there’s always room for growth in these areas, regardless of your background.
To improve his skills and pursue his goal of finding a job, Brendan attended MTC Cabramatta four days a week. However on his day off, Brendan did something truly inspiring. Every Thursday, when he didn’t have class, he could be found in the students’ break room, using his spare time to practise his writing and digital skills. Brendan’s dedication to learning and self-improvement set a great example for everyone around him.
Motivated to seize every opportunity, Brendan always put his hand up to attend job expos or any additional training offered to students, such as First Aid courses. This passion, dedication and determination paid off for Brendan when he secured a casual job in the construction industry through Green Connect, an organisation he met with at a job expos. We are so proud of Brendan!
Brendan’s story serves as a reminder that even when students are proficient and confident in a subject, there’s still merit in giving them the opportunity to learn new things, refresh their knowledge and sharpen their skills. When we believe in them and provide opportunities to improve, the positive impact on their life can multiply significantly. It is a real joy to see Brendan strengthen his relationship with learning and become a role model for other Participants, a shining example of the power of persisting and the benefit of having an appetite to improve.