Barkuma’s Transition Program is designed to help students with disabilities and learning difficulties to transition smoothly from school to the next phase of their lives. The program is delivered over a 12 months and provides graduates with access to a range of employment pathways, including School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) and Disability Employment Services (DES). These pathways are aimed at supporting a seamless transition into employment. We caught up with program graduates Siomonn, Will and Belle, to see where they are now.
Belle – Class of 2022
My name is Belle Sutherland, I’m 19 years old and this is my Barkuma story. I attended Barkuma’s Transition Program in 2022, the year I graduated high school. I’ll be honest and say I learnt so much from Barkuma and I’m forever thankful for the experience. I learnt about getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things that the younger me would never have done, I made many new friendships that I value. Sometimes the unexpected friendships turn out to be the best ones which is a fact by the way!
Best Experience
Anyway, one of the best highlights from Barkuma was my Barkuma teacher, Glenn, he made every week more exciting and always had the best jokes to cheer us up if we weren’t ourselves or just his company in general made me get up every Thursday morning, hop on that tram and go learn! I highly recommend doing the Transition Program no matter your anxieties or nerves.
I experienced the best support I have ever received, made lifelong best friends and still have close relationships with the leaders/mentors at Barkuma to this day, which is crazy to think about! You won’t regret doing it. I connected with Barkuma’s SLES in 2023. While I already had a casual job delivering catalogues 2 days a week, I wanted to work on job searching.
Katie, my SLES case manager supported me a lot and helped me get some work experience near my house at a local childcare centre. I learnt a lot from SLES but the main thing I learnt was don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’s okay to need help, we all do, and you’re allowed to speak up, use your voice if you’re comfortable or ask someone to help.
After doing some work experience in the ELC at Woodcroft College, I finally came to the conclusion that working with kids has always been my passion.
That’s when I decided I’m going to need some extra support finding a job in childcare. I didn’t have any qualifications besides my working with children check, so I reached out to my case manager to see if Barkuma could help.
Challenges
I had one setback, I didn’t want to go to Uni like my friends since that would be too challenging. My case manager recommended a traineeship which meant I could work with children and study towards the qualification Certificate 3 In Early Childhood Education and Care which sounded good to me.
I was nervous as anyone would be, but worked on gaining my qualifications, Through My Eyes, First Aid and an updated Children’s Check. My dad came with me to Through My Eyes and my DES key worker came with me to my First Aid to ease my anxiety which helped a lot.
Job interview
I had an interview with Little Shining Stars at Wayville and was offered a traineeship, conveniently near my home in October last year. Whilst it has been challenging it is also very rewarding. I have also now started studying Certificate 3 in Early Childhood Education and Care. In July 2025, I will be fully qualified as a Childcare Worker! I have also recently become one of the Kindy Room Educators.
I have had amazing support from Barkuma and I have built good relationships with my co-workers. If you are considering Barkuma for support, I would highly recommend all they have to offer to help you find your future pathway.
Will – Class of 2022
Year 12 student Will had hesitations about being referred to Barkuma’s Transition Program. Though generally reluctant to try new things, his family wanted to explore his employment options beyond the ADE. During the interview it was evident Will did not enjoy the school environment and didn’t think he would enjoy coming to Barkuma. Following discussions with family and school, it was decided that Will could trial the program, and reassess in a few weeks. To support this trial, the Transition Program Coordinators worked with Will to establish clear boundaries and provided additional support for him to understand others and acceptable behaviours. Will’s growth was exceptional. Barkuma became a place he looked forward to attending saying “Barkuma treats me like an adult”. Before long Will was heading to the shops independently for lunch and breaks, enjoying afternoon tea at a local café.
Through collaborations with Will, his family, and his school, Barkuma was able to support a holistic approach to transitioning Will from school to Barkuma’s School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES). Since then, he has been on a journey towards achieving his employment goal of working in a library.
Currently, Will volunteers at the Salvo Stores and the Mitcham Library. At the Salvo Stores, Will checks DVDs and CDs for damage, sorts out the good ones, and takes them to be priced. He also looks at cassettes and vinyl albums for sale. Will also volunteers at the Mitcham Library as a “Shelvie”. He returns books to their proper place within the library. Will has developed many skills and attitudes for work throughout his employment journey. Will is about to commence his transition to Barkuma DES where he is hopeful of securing his dream job of working within a library.
“I would like to say how important the Transition Program is. I feel it has been the extension and challenge that William needed. The support you have offered William, myself and Marc has been amazing. Thank you for opening my world to the amazing possibilities available for William.” – Will’s mum Vicki.
Siomonn – Class of 2021
Year 12 student Siomonn was referred to Barkuma’s Transition Program in 2020 by his school. Unsure if it would be the right fit, Siomonn and his family met with the Transition Program Coordinators in Term 4 to understand his needs, goals and for them to view the adult learning environment at Barkuma South Terrace.
When the program began in February 2021, Siomonn was given the opportunity to show his learning in different ways and on his own terms. He thrived in this environment, and showed initiative and leadership when supporting his peers and trainers, especially with IT related issues. Through career counselling, hospitality was identified as a good fit for Siomonn to pursue in Semester 2 with accredited training. Siomonn showed he was very capable in the kitchen, successfully completing a Cert II in Kitchen Operations. His trainers praised his positive attitude, presentation, persistence and being the first one to volunteer to clean up.
As Siomonn’s independence grew, transport training was the next goal kicked to ensure he got to his hospitality course independently. Following a work experience at a Bakery, Siomonn was clear on his goal to work in that environment, though he recognised he would benefit from employment support.
Siomonn had already registered with Barkuma Employment, a Disability Employment Service (DES), and a seamless transition saw him complete a work trial with Coles Kilburn Bakery. Once again, Siomonn impressed with his eagerness and skills and was offered a job. Siomonn has been doing an excellent job since then and has proven himself to be a fast worker and a keen learner. He has been trained in multiple roles and currently works between 14-20 hours per week. Siomonn’s main tasks are:
- Rack up – reading the order sheet and putting the baked goods on the shelves.
- Cookies – packing cookies into plastic containers and labelling them.
- Flat Bread – cooking flat bread, putting them in plastic bags and labelling them.
Siomonn has weekly meetings with his DES key worker before his shift. Together, they are working towards Siomonn’s goal to work in a kitchen whilst maintaining his job at Coles. He is looking for kitchen hand catering jobs and hopes to manage the two jobs and rosters with support from Barkuma’s DES.
Outside of work, Siomonn attends Empowering Futures in Salisbury and enjoys watching movies and playing football. Siomonn loves working at Coles and often arrives early before his shift. He has great relationships with his employer and co-workers who see him as a reliable and outstanding employee.
To enquire about the Transition Program at Barkuma, contact the Transition Program team
- call (08) 8414 7100, or
- email barkuma@barkuma.com.au