By DANE LILLINGSTONE
The Endeavour Foundation in Warwick has celebrated a graduation with its students.
On Monday 14 September four young adults celebrated the completion of the 10 week Community Learning Hub program with a presentation and morning tea.
The initiative of the program is on readying young adults with disabilities for the work force.
Over the two-and-a-half month program, the students learnt job readiness skills through job placements and work experience.
The students undertook three hour sessions in the program learning through workbooks and online activities.
There were also work experience placements with a local radio station, pet shop, Bunnings and other businesses.
Jesse Sue-Fong graduated from the program and gave a rousing and heartfelt speech at the ceremony.
“When I first came here, I felt very lost in a strange city. I felt very uncomfortable.
“My mummy died and it was very, very hard for me but after I moved here from Toowoomba, I came up here with my family, it was pretty hard,” he said.
“Then I got into Endeavour when I first met my friend Sue.
“When I first saw her at my job, I did not know what I was getting myself into.
“I went in and I’m so glad I passed all my skills.
“I just want to say I love you all so much and I hope everything will go OK and thank-you for letting me be here.”
Endeavour Foundation’s Service Development and Innovation Manager Chris Beaumont said it was an innovative and unique program that would look to expand in the future.
“The Work Readiness program is unique in the Warwick region as it fills a vital gap by providing an educational service that supports young people with a disability and others from various backgrounds,” he said.
“We are focused on delivering a short-course to boost job skills and, in turn, will give participants the confidence to pursue the job they want.
“We are so pleased with the success of our pilot program and we are keen to expand it so more young people in the Warwick region also have an opportunity to learn crucial job skills.”
