Helping Hazelwood Workers Find Their Feet

Ainslee Scurrah, an Employment Consultant at Workways Australia, knows first-hand the impacts that the closure of the Hazelwood Power Station has had on individual workers.

Up until recently, Ainslee and her partner were participants of the State funded, LVA Workers Transition Service, an employment service provided by Workways Australia to support workers retrenched from the decommissioned Engie Hazelwood Power Station.

Ainslee’s partner had been an employee of Engie for over 12 years, and they sought the support to transition into new industries and full time work to support their family.

“I was working in a casual role, so when my partner was out of work, I decided to seek a full time role that would suit my skills, and find an organisation where I could add value.” said Ainslee.

When Ainslee came upon the Employment Consultant role with Workways Australia, she knew that she could apply her experience to help former Engie workers find the confidence and skills to transition into new industries.

“Based on my own experiences, I know that it’s more than just finding the right job, it’s also about providing the right support for people to have the confidence to sit for interviews, prepare resumes and adjust to the needs of a new workplace and industry.

“Some of these workers have been at Engie for most of their working life, so I really wanted to approach this in a way that demonstrates I understand what they might be feeling and that they all need an individual approach.”

Ainslee had previously worked for 16 years as a shift worker in the food industry and carries a Diploma of Food Technology. She knew that her skills would be transferable to the employment industry, and it’s this approach that has helped her when working with other Worker Transition clients.

“My role is to help our clients identify their existing skills and experience, and look at how this could relate to other industries.” said Ainslee.

“I then help them with interview techniques, give advice on preparation of resumes and provide them with job preparation training.”

Ainslee is currently presenting Aptitude Test Preparation Workshops which have been embraced by clients and help build their confidence for future roles.

“Often the most daunting part of getting a new job is the interview process. I’m here to make that easier for clients so they can focus on the important task of demonstrating that they’re the right person for the job!”