Good News Story
Participant Support Officers
One of MTC Australia’s latest innovations to improve the service we offer our participants is the introduction of Participant Support Officers. Here’s just one example of how they’re making a difference in the lives of people who seek our support.
Ravi had a clear goal in mind when he arrived to ask for help from the Participant Support Officer at MTC Liverpool. He was very keen to begin a career as a driver as he has friends and families with delivery and courier businesses that would welcome him as a valued employee. There was only one problem – Ravi had tried the driver licence test a handful of times and failed each one. Ravi was also experiencing challenges at home and in his family which led to housing instability and an inability to concentrate on achieving his goal of getting the licence.
After they met, Ravi’s Participant Support Officer (PSO) contacted Ravi’s Skills for Education and Employment Trainer and explained his needs. Together they made modifications to Ravi’s lessons to allow him opportunities to practice for the test while simultaneously improving his digital literacy skills and learning to safely navigate websites and use online tools effectively. Additionally, the Trainer gave Ravi additional assistance to explain any words or phrases in the road rules that were confusing.
Once Ravi was confident he knew the road rules, MTC’s PSO communicated with Ravi’s job provider to ensure that he could be reimbursed for the cost of his test, thereby removing as many barriers to success as possible. Through the support of MTC’s PSO and his SEE trainer, Ravi passed his test on the first attempt! He was incredibly proud to show off his new licence and felt more confident now that he had made a momentous step forward on his career pathway.
We wish Ravi luck, as he takes advantage of subsidised lessons offered by his provider to ensure he can now get his full licence and accelerate towards his driving career goal.