Stood down from an analytics role in the airline industry, David flew into a new community role thanks to the Working for Victoria jobs program.
David loves to travel and with a 25-year career in the industry, he’s had plenty of opportunities to do so.
Employed for the past seven years as a pricing analyst with Jetstar, David spent his days studying the competition to analyse and predict what pricing might stimulate demand for Jetstar travel.
However, when international travel was cancelled and domestic flights dramatically scaled back by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in March, David and thousands of his colleagues from the Qantas group were stood down.
At the beginning of June, after a 10-week search, David landed a new role through Working for Victoria, as a data reporting analyst with not-for-profit organisation, the Brotherhood of St Laurence.
“I had been looking for work for around two and a half months and had applied for about a dozen jobs a week,” David said.
“To begin with, I was looking for an analytical role but later in my search I was looking for anything. I began to lose confidence and my self-doubt grew; sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. I got quite emotional and missed being productive. Actually, I missed feeling useful because work is a big part of my identity.”
Working for Victoria provides opportunities for paid work for people displaced by coronavirus (COVID-19). It also provides people with the support they need to upskill and return to work.
David’s vision is impaired by a genetic condition called Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, but this doesn’t stop him participating in his community – he’s played blind cricket for 25 years at a national and state level, and also plays blind football.
In order to help Victorians from every walk of life, Working for Victoria has updated its system to make it more accessible via a website portal as well as an app. But when David first used the app, it didn’t enable him to read or respond to job vacancy alerts received on his phone.
“I had seen several articles about Working for Victoria, so I registered with Sidekicker and started to get notifications via the app on my phone,” he said.
“I use software called ZoomText to enlarge everything on the screen. This means I need to be computer-based and I need an employer who is OK with some reasonable adjustments.”
David sought assistance and was referred to Wendy from the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, who shared his CV with organisations she could see had expressed interest via the app.
He quickly secured a job as a reporting analyst on the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Working for Victoria project, capturing data to report back to the Victorian Government showing how the organisation is meeting its targets, sticking to its budget and maintaining accountability.
“For the Brotherhood of St Laurence to onboard me within 10 days of receiving my application – and to do that for another 100 roles – speaks to the drive, energy and enthusiasm of the team to convert their funding into value and get people like me into jobs,” he said.
Not only did the new role help him to keep paying household bills, it also contributed to his sense of wellbeing.
“The Working for Victoria initiative is an excellent way to provide much-needed services to areas in need, along with giving people an opportunity to work. I am proud to be a part of it.”
The Victorian Government has provided $500 million to the Working for Victoria initiative to help our community and contribute to Victoria’s ability to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Anyone legally allowed to work in Australia, including people who have lost their jobs due to coronavirus, can participate. Jobseekers, businesses seeking workers and people wishing to retrain for new roles can register at www.vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria
