Multicultural Australia
Fortune’s Journey: Building Skills, Confidence and a Brighter Future
Fortune is a 21-year-old from Congo who arrived in Australia with his family in 2023. He was introduced to the Youth Transition Support (YTS) program after attending an employability skills session through the Ucan2 program at TAFE. Inspired by the session, Fortune expressed a strong interest in receiving individualised support to help him with training and finding work.
In his first meeting with a Youth Engagement Worker, Fortune shared his goals. Long-term, he dreamed of studying Mechatronics—an area combining IT and mechanics—at university. In the short term, he wanted to build a resume, gain work experience, and connect socially with peers. Together with his Youth Engagement Worker, Fortune created a plan that included career exploration, resume support, and a five-week work experience placement at the Welcome Café, where he built his confidence through hospitality and job-readiness tasks.
After this placement, Fortune was supported to apply for paid work at the 2024 Ekka event. With refresher job-readiness training and interview preparation delivered by Multicultural Australia, Fortune was successful—securing his first paid job in Australia alongside his sister and several other young people. Together with his sisters earnings it allowed them to buy their family’s first car, which helped their parents with transport. Fortune felt a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for this experience. Impressed by Fortune’s work ethic, the Ekka employer kept him on the casual roster for future events.
With newfound confidence, Fortune applied independently for a job at his local Coles supermarket in September 2024. He successfully navigated the application process and interview and has been working there since, while also completing the Adult Tertiary Preparation course at TAFE as a step toward university.
Along the way, Fortune participated in a range of workshops and supports through YTS, including a driver’s licence workshop, driving lessons, a bike repair workshop (where he built and kept a bike for work transport), and an employment expo to meet local employers. These opportunities helped him grow more independent, mobile, and confident.
With two jobs under his belt and a clear plan for the future, Fortune is building the life he envisioned—and supporting his family along the way.
