Having recently completed the Certificate II in Business Administration, Cameron talks about his journey of charting a new career path with clarity and openness. “I thought if I went back to college, I would firstly, gain an understanding of what it felt like to study again and secondly, I would develop new skills”. Cameron explains that his previous 23 year employment as a taxi limousine operator came to an abrupt end when he developed a serious medical condition which prevented him from driving. “I thoroughly enjoyed my job, as I was meeting and greeting people from all walks of life, from the A-list celebrities to the average person”. Cameron adds that losing his capacity to drive, meant losing his livelihood and forced him into homelessness and a position of rethinking his options. “My life turned into a heap and it was hard to readjust. You get so used to being in a comfort zone with one particular job. But when life drives you a curve ball you have to find a way to meet the challenge and hopefully become a better person”.
Cameron continues that as a mature age person, he felt he needed to upskill to be more competitive in today’s job market. “A lot of jobs these days require a tertiary course and also a driver’s licence, so it’s been hard for me to comprehend, after working in a profession for so many years, to find myself needing tertiary qualifications for what I would consider a minor job”.
Cameron shared that he was enthusiastic about going back to college, because he saw it as a way to redevelop himself and get back into the workforce. He also liked the fact that the TAFE course was offered in-house at Brisbane Common Ground.
“The course was very nourishing in a lot of ways. It re-established many things that I had not used since leaving school”. Cameron explains he is now making up his own budgets and is using the Microsoft suite of programs to help him with personal projects and job seeking. Cameron adds, “As the learning came easily to me, I was also able to tutor other students in the course. I would come down to the computer training room on the ground floor a couple of times a week and make myself available. A few students even took me up on the offer”.
Cameron reflected, “In all honesty I thought the course was fantastic, it was beneficial to me as a step forward towards a new career path”. In between jobs, Cameron makes sure that he keeps himself busy in the community. “I volunteer some Friday mornings with the food vans in Wickham Park or Ivory Street. I also volunteered at the PA Hospital for over a year. There are a lot of people in worse situations than me and I try to keep myself positive”. Cameron’s laugh is contagious, but there is a determination in his eyes when he talks about finding work, “I enjoy working, I’m loyal and committed. I’m looking for something that pumps my energy, that is vibrant and that I can throw myself into again”.