BALLARAT Headspace\u2019s youth employment program, or YEP, has been trotted out at one of the region\u2019s top thoroughbred stables.<\/p>\n
Melbourne Cup winning Ciaron Maher Racing is one of the businesses taking part in the initiative which is aimed at securing tailored employment for people aged between 15 and 25.<\/p>\n
Through the YEP initiative, participant Andy Ladiges has been working at the Ciaron Maher stables for more than seven months during which she\u2019s received a traineeship with the employer.<\/p>\n
With an interest in veterinary nursing, she said the program helped her take the first steps towards her chosen career path.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Headspace Ballarat team helped place me where my hobby is now my work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had never considered this could be a job, but here I am, working with horses, doing what I love every day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve tried other job agencies before and none have supported me the way Headspace has. They care about me and my interests, not just the placement of someone in a job.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been a personalised experience and working with the [Headspace team] has been a thousand times more helpful than my other experience in the job-seeker system.\u201d<\/p>\n
The YEP initiative is aimed at offering individualised employment guidance suited to the participant\u2019s workplace interests.<\/p>\n
According to a Headspace Ballarat estimate, 58 people have been given work experience or placement opportunities through the YEP initiative since it began earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Ciaron Maher Racing\u2019s human resource officer Megan Tippet said the program has led to them receiving a valuable addition to their workforce.<\/p>\n
\u201cAndy joined CMR\u2026 with limited horse experience and has now found herself as one of our go-to employees for anything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have enrolled Andy in a certificate III in racing (stablehand) to develop her skills further and experience\u2026 which is a testament to her dedication and love for the horses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking with Headspace has helped us identify new talent in the community and to bring new people into the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BALLARAT Headspace\u2019s youth employment program, or YEP, has been trotted out at one of the region\u2019s top thoroughbred stables. Melbourne Cup winning Ciaron Maher Racing is one of the businesses taking part in the initiative which is aimed at securing tailored employment for people aged between 15 and 25. Through the YEP initiative, participant Andy […]<\/p>\n