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Caroline Jones (Campaign Manager) Blog - 22 March 2010

Local Career Stories

There was overwhelming evidence at the Forum of the local residents' commitment to building a better future for their community and the impact of career development as an important building block for communities. The Forum was hosted on behalf of National Career Development Week by Ambassador Steve Liebmann, a journalist and broadcaster for more than four decades, and a man widely respected for an impeccable career who has certainly interviewed some remarkable achievers in his time. So it was impressive to hear Steve comment on his 2UE morning show the following day that the individuals he met and the stories they shared made him "inspired and proud to be an Australian".

Individuals were willing to share their career stories, despite how daunted some were about public speaking in front of an audience of their peers and fellow residents - in order to help other individuals in their community. Young Peter Phillips, a Youth Worker from Youth Off The Streets (YOTS), was prepared to tell any young people who would listen that his life could have been very different. If it were not for his decision to "have a go", to volunteer to help out with a YOTS barbecue - a decision that led him to a life changing overseas trip with YOTS and ultimately a rewarding career - he may not have had a bright future.

Other individuals - a personal highlight referred to by NCDW 2010 Launch guest speaker Kate Southam in her Daily Telegraph newspaper column - spoke of overcoming long term unemployment to start jobs they love while raising children and giving back to the community. The school put forward examples of positive programs and initiatives, from Minter Ellison (represented by Anton Hermann) and the local Police area command (represented by Inspector Peter Hinds), which not only assisted students with job readiness and alternative pathways but strengthened relationships in the wider community. Another NCDW 2010 Launch guest speaker, and someone with his own inspiring career story, Captain Ben Gallacher (Defence Force Recruiting), spoke about the determination and courage to succeed - and we found plenty of this in evidence amongst the community speakers.

Everyone who attended the event, whatever insight they brought themselves to the Forum, left a little better for the experience. As Steve Liebmann put it so aptly, these are individuals who in many cases, in spite of extraordinary hardship and adversity, have carved out a career for themselves and want to inspire others to do the same. The key message to the community audience from all of the local career story participants - varying in age, background and life experience - was that you can have a rewarding career and a better lifestyle, whatever your age or career stage, if you put in the hard work and persevere. From the fantastic feedback we've received, residents will be talking about the Forum for weeks to come.

Community Event Partners

The inside story of the Forum is also about the community event partners who committed the time, energy and enthusiasm to assist the NCDW Team to put together this Forum that is characteristic of their ongoing commitment to assist the career development of individuals in their community. This activity is already giving back, strengthening relationships between the lead agencies and a whole range of community-based organisations, including businesses, non-for-profit, workplaces and educational and training programs.

Steve Montgomery, CEO of Macarthur Workplace Learning Program (MWLP), was an opening speaker at the Forum on behalf of the Learning Employment and Economic Development group (LEED) responsible for NCDW activities in Macquarie Fields in 2008 and 2009. It is because of these activities that the Macquarie Fields community was selected for the Launch Forum. LEED is a working group of the Macquarie Fields Regeneration Implementation Group, delivering the Macquarie Fields Regeneration Partnership Plan (RPP) 2007-2010. Housing NSW is the overarching lead agency facilitating and driving the delivery of the RPP.

Says Montgomery of the 2010 NCDW Launch, of which his organisation MWLP was one of the Forum event partners, "The school did a brilliant job in hosting the event, the 'expo' display worked really well, Steve Liebmann was a terrific MC, the guest speakers and career stories were diverse and inspiring, and we also had student performances and the Centrelink choir - all fabulous!! ... and it attracted much positive interest to the Macquarie Fields community - from a very broad audience."

Says Jo Sammut, Housing NSW Manager of Community Regeneration - Macquarie Fields, who were a Forum event partner, "The National Career Development Week Forum was fabulous. Like Steve [Montgomery], I love working with people who want to work collaboratively together."

In the words of Rosemarie Vujcic, Transition Adviser at James Meehan High School, who with her small army of student volunteers worked tirelessly to make sure we had a venue, a PA system, lunch, and so many other necessities, "this event was a perfect example of how things can work...when everyone pulls together and carries the load, things not only get done, they get done well."

Hold a Launch Your Future - Get the Life You Love! Forum in your community

There was strong anecdotal evidence at this event of the progress that can be achieved if we all work together to integrate the delivery of career development programs and opportunities across the broad spectrum of community organisations and groups. The Launch Your Future - Get the Life You Love! Forum is an event you can hold in your community. Shortly, we will put a detailed case study up on the website alongside the existing community event template. For more information and to request the official branding for the Launch Your Future - Get the Life You Love! Forum, send an email to contact_team@ncdw.com.au

Have a wonderful National Career Development Week in your community in 2010 - whatever week you choose for your activity - we're off to a great start! And watch this space for more Campaign News as it happens ...

Caroline Jones

National Career Development Week forms part of a larger year-long campaign and is an initiative of the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA), with funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

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