Annie Kennedy - Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Advocate, RIAC

[Vision: Annie walking into work and working at her desk]

I was actually employed at the takeaway place here called Mum’s Kitchen.

I’d met my partner and I had five children.

I was a stay-at-home mum.

[Vision: Annie speaking]

It’s a full-time job obviously.

[Vision: Annie working]

I was at the point in my life where all my kids are going to school.

I need to start doing something for myself.

It was at a point too where it was really hard financially.

I didn’t have any qualifications behind me.

[Vision: Annie speaking]

I didn’t want to just get another job in a takeaway shop.

I spent how many years at home cooking for people, I do not want to do that for a job, so I thought community service would give me a broad range.

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do.

[Vision: Annie working at desk]

I was going through Facebook and I saw there was a course being ran at Academy of Sports Health and Education.

[Vision: Annie speaking]

So that was the major step for me was actually getting enrolled, going back and doing studies again after so many years.

Daryl Sloan - Manager, RIAC

[Vision: Daryl talking with Anne in office]

In the case of Annie she’d actually studied community welfare studies, had been a mum at home.

[Vision: Daryl speaking]

So she was a lot fresher, but I liked the idea of being able to train someone into the way I wanted them to go rather than to have to re-train someone who thought they knew all the answers to start with.

[Vision: Daryl talking with Anne in office]

I had no idea how to get a resume up.

I didn’t know how to write it.

I didn’t know how to word it.

[Vision: Annie speaking]

I didn’t know any of those things.

[Vision: Daryl talking with Annie in office]

And once I got that help, everything just fell into place.

[Vision: Daryl speaking]

Annie had linked with Qualify and they helped her put her resume together while she was still studying.

[Vision: Annie being assisted by lady in office]

One of the reasons she got to sit in front of us was she had a good quality resume.

[Vision: Annie smiling with lady assistant in office - Anne speaking]

I’ve been here about seven to eight months now, so yeah, I’m really loving it.

[Vision: RIAC your rights, your voice - Annie & Anne sign]

I’m the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocate here at RIAC.

[Vision: Annie and lady smiling]

She got a job because of her study, because of her professionalism.

She has managed that through Jobs Victoria.

She’s paving her own way.

[Vision: Annie speaking and posing for camera]

Look, I’ve got a 13 year-old son and now he wants to do something along the lines of what mum does, to be an advocate for people and help them, so I’m very proud of that.

[Looking for work? We can help. Visit jobs.vic.gov.au for information and support.]

[Jobs Victoria / Working for all Victorians]

[Victoria State Government - Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne]

Go back to Annie's story