Thi’s Story

Fifteen years ago, Thi migrated to Australia seeking a better life. Married with two children, focused her time on raising her family. Once her children were grown, she decided it was her time to improve her ability to speak English and build skills that could lead to employment.

Thi enrolled in the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program at MTC Australia’s Liverpool Training Centre to improve her English language skills and embrace the opportunity to learn. The initial stage of the SEE program involved working with her SEE Trainer to identify her learning and knowledge gaps. The MTC learning materials are designed to cover gaps such as grammar, spelling, numeracy for the workplace, and employability skills. Through the SEE program, Thi also improved her digital skills, including searching for job opportunities on the Internet.

When MTC partnered with the Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre and TAFE to help participants work towards a Statement of Attainment in Floristry, Thi quickly demonstrated her interest.

Thi learned critical skills to secure a future position as a Floristry Assistant or Senior Florist including how to create a natural stemmed buttonhole and corsage, the differences between techniques for natural stemmed and wired designs, the storage and handling care for finished items to protect and keep them fresh and the cost price and retail price of each item. She learnt how to recognise flowers and foliage materials (and their common names), and which are suitable for different occasions. She learnt about materials that can be resourced naturally from the environment and recycling materials for sustainability.

As a result of the course, Thi has grown in confidence and she continues to improve her skills while studying at MTC Australia in the SEE Program. She is empowered and upskilled for the future.