CoAct Connect customer Sally signed up for the Ready Set Go program, with AFL legend Simon Black attending as a guest presenter.

The Ready Set Go program

The Ready Set Go Program is “a unique motivational and educational program designed to inspire job seekers who are having difficulty finding or sustaining long-term employment.”

It’s specifically designed to inspire and encourage people looking for vocational direction or confidence and resilience building skills and tools to help them find and sustain employment.

Participants receive a comprehensive workbook and helpful assignments to support them in moving towards their employment goals.

The Ready Set Go program teaches participants to:

• use positive strategies to manage stress, prioritise wellbeing, and improve confidence
• learn techniques for coping with mental health conditions, including anxiety or depression
• and identify strengths and what they have to offer.

Sally’s experience on the five-day program

For Sally this positive experience was made accessible with $100 of credit towards travel on her TransLink Go Card and she found it really helpful to be able to ask questions.

There was so much covered in just the first half hour I didn’t want to miss a second.

Sally attended the workshop after receiving a knock back from another application process that had left her feeling flat after she’d “poured heart and soul into it”. Sally thought that finding the right training that would lead to work could be a good way to bounce back so she approached her CoAct Employment mentor at Stones Corner asking for training, was shown the leaflet for The Ready Set Go program, and that was that….

…She decided to go along with a friend and signed up to attend for 5 days, working through the program workbook.

The program addressed where we’re at and if we genuinely want to move forward. There were all sorts of people there, one guy wanted to be a bus driver, and it was done in a very gentle way, but with real depth.”

“The program dealt with stress management and introduced the idea of a resilience metre. There was a guide to healthy eating too, and other modules talked about keeping healthy through physical activity, being confident at work, goal setting, our personal values, how to connect at work, and motivation.”

“There was no pressure and it was a really nice atmosphere, then we worked in pairs on personal skills and technical skills by roleplaying interviews.

Having AFL legend Simon Black as a presenter was a surprise added benefit for Sally who wasn’t familiar with him but was incredibly moved by the shared similarities in his stories. Simon has faced his own life challenges, including bouncing back from a major spinal injury that took him out of a game he loves for 18 months.

I didn’t know about him before but I loved his attitude and his ethics and I was so inspired at how noble he was to not just throw the towel in. Hearing him speaking directly from experience inspired me so much that I would say it propelled me to where I am today.

Next up for Sally

After the past application that didn’t work out a Coact Connect recruitment partner “kindly took the time to work out exactly what fits for me and we landed on youth. This is because I had a troubled youth myself and I’d love to help other young people so I’m really happy now” Sally shares.

She starts a TAFE community services course later this month that requires a placement she’s hoping to tie in with some volunteer work at Raise.

I felt it was all so worth it, I got to take a good look at myself, where I am, where I’m going, and what my plans are. It was a really thorough program that left me feeling ready to get to work and give back to society.

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