Rebecca opens doors with a business traineeship

Training and skills case study Rebecca Hope’s career in business began with one work placement, 2 traineeships and a little help from a LinkedIn post.

After finishing VCAL, she enrolled in a Certificate I in Work Education where she completed an administration placement at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

“At the end of those 5 weeks, I thought this could be a good career opportunity for me because it’s structured and ordered,” recalls Rebecca.

Rebecca Hope case study

Looking to grow her skills even further, Rebecca set to work finding a traineeship that could give her experience in the corporate world.

It was no small feat for the young businesswoman, whose experience with autism has meant her way of doing things can look different to other people.

“I definitely did have my reservations about going back into the mainstream learning environment,” Rebecca says.

“But thankfully, the trainers at TAFE were really supportive and were able to teach in a way that suited my needs.”

Rebecca went on to complete one traineeship at a recruitment firm and another at the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR), all while working towards her Certificates III and IV in Business.

She not only succeeded in both programs, but then went on to win 2023 Trainee of the Year at the Victorian Training Awards for her traineeship through group training organisation NECA Education and Careers, with the Employment Programs team at DJSIR.

“While I learnt a lot of important corporate skills from my traineeships, they also taught me a lot about myself as a person,” says Rebecca.

“I found out that I’m a lot more capable and resilient than I previously gave myself credit for.”

Rebecca’s determination didn’t stop there. After completing her final traineeship, she put her feelers out for work with a post on LinkedIn.

Rebecca Hope case study

A contact reached out with an interview opportunity at Amaze, Victoria’s peak body for autism. As they say, the rest is history.

Now a year into a full-time position at the organisation, Rebecca is loving every minute.

“At the moment I’m rotating through a few different departments, including the community development team and human resources,” says Rebecca.

“I’m hoping to stay at Amaze for as long as they want me. I’d love to keep working my way up and maybe one day take on a trainee of my own.”

To others considering a similar journey, Rebecca offers encouraging advice.

“I definitely recommend the traineeship pathway to people with disabilities because we often learn best by doing things,” she says.

She adds, “Remember that you might have 99 doors close until that 100th door opens, but it’s usually all worth it in the end.”

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