Mikayla Birnie: NESA’s 2022 ‘Bright Star’ Winner

Mikayla Birnie, our 2022 NESA Awards for Excellence Bright Star Award WINNER!! Take a bow! 

We couldn’t be happier to announce that Mikayla took home the National Employment Services Association Bright Star Young Employment Consultant of the Year award last night in memory of past winner Maily Duong.

Maily Duong was the daughter of Cambodian refugees who had fled the Khmer Rouge. At 21 she joined Direct Recruitment as an Employment Consultant and was immediately able to effectively use her Cambodian, Indonesian and Chinese language skills to help Asian immigrants successfully enter the workforce.

By the age 25 Maily had applied her Bachelor of Business knowledge to establish a Cambodian children’s charity. In 2012 she won a NESA National Employment Services Award.

Sadly, she passed away in December 2013 after a short, but courageous, battle with cancer, and Australia lost one its brightest young stars.

Maily truly understood the importance of community and this award for young employment consultants under the age of 30 is granted in her honour.

This perpetual award is not awarded every year, it is only presented when NESA Awards Judges identify a stand out recipient.

Mikayla’s dedication, ‘get in there and get the job done’ attitude and care she shows for our customers shone through for the NESA judges and we’re so glad she was recognised for this award.

Congratulations Mikayla, so well deserved!