Youth Challenge
Teaching human rights & responsibilities.

Unit 3: Young People in the Workplace

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Resource sheet: Difference and career planning – Five stories

The decision about what career path to follow is incredibly important. In the past, many people have been limited when choosing their careers because of their difference; especially if the career choice was unconventional or not stereotypical. But today's world says that every person has a right to choose their own career path. The reality, though, there are still some obstacles and barriers that are often faced.

Five Stories from five young Australians

In 2001, five young Australians talked to HREOC about their experiences. Look at these five examples of young people who faced obstacles in their career choices. While you are reading the stories, think about:

• What was different or not stereotypical about the career choice?
• What obstacles did they face?
• Who gave them support or good advice?
• What strategies did they adopt to help themselves?
• What was the outcome of the situation?

Tung Ngo

I am an ordinary Australian young guy, and studying to be a teacher. I love my cricket and footy, pizzas from the local, and going to night clubs with my mates.

When I was 22 I ran for local council against the local National Front (a racist hate party) in Enfield in Adelaide, and won. I was sick of the hatred coming from some people and them saying that they represented the people, so I decided to stand up against it and find out who the people really supported. I spoke to a lot of people about this - and they all said if it was what I thought was right, then give it a go.

I faced racism and ignorance myself at school. I came to Australia as a refugee when I was 11 and was picked on heaps. Luckily, I had a teacher who was Greek and she understood what I was going through and really stood up for all of us who were different in some way. I stood up for myself too and after a while we got the bullies sorted. The hardest part for me was getting the English language. Once I had that it was much better - I could face up to the trouble-makers.

It's also important to put something back into the community. We've received a lot of help but we are now able to put a lot back, so we're 'paying the bills'. I also know a lot of people need support and encouragement, so I can do that in my position on the Council. That will change things - instead of people going home and feeling terrible and blaming themselves if they face problems through poor English, they'll be able to be a lot happier and they'll contribute better to the whole community. I guess I'm a salesman - selling my Vietnamese culture to the Australian community, but also opening up that community to outside influences. We can all benefit from sharing and acknowledging our differences, and developing the rich common ground we have. And when I'm not doing that, I'll just enjoy being a young Australian!

Katherine Edghill

I am a boat builder. I love wooden boats - and working with wood generally. I have worked as a cabinet maker, antique restorer, carpenter's offsider and shipwright's assistant. In 1998 I worked on building a replica of the 15th century Dutch ship the Duyfken, believed to be the first European ship to touch Australia's shores.

My love for wooden boats steered me towards the Diploma of Wooden Boatbuilding course in Tasmania. Competition to get into the course was pretty fierce - they only take 10 people every two years, and people apply from all over Australia and overseas.

When I first enrolled in the course I was shocked to be one of two women to apply - shocked because I thought I would be the only one! I am so used to working in what is seen as a 'men's only' area, that it was surprising and great to see another woman with the same interests.

It's silly - we are physically able to do the work, and many women are well suited to it. It should be seen as a viable option by more young women. I have always been brought up to believe that any career was possible, so I just went with the areas in my life that felt right.

Sometimes some of the guys I've worked with have been a bit hostile, but they soon recognised my abilities and I became just another one of the workers, able to do all that they did.

I've worked in many building materials - steel, aluminium, glass, reinforced plastics - but I really love wood, I am passionate about it. But I know it's a finite resource. Finding a way to reconcile myself to being a user of a scant resource and yet being committed to preserve forests has been a real problem, and one which does not have an easy answer.

Tammy Williams

I am a Queensland Aboriginal, or Murri as we prefer to be called, and a law student. I have been involved in a number of international human rights delegations and leadership development programs, and these have come out of the thing I am most involved with - helping young disadvantaged people gain empowerment and confidence.

This commitment to others comes from my own background. I became very aware of inequity and injustice when I was growing up. My mum lived on the Cherbourg Mission near Brisbane, and she was given little education, and forced into slave labour as a domestic servant.

Mum married and had us three kids, but my father died when I was very young, and she had to bring us up with very little.

I remember her working so hard just to make ends meet. Despite her own limited formal education, she would always encourage my brothers and I to get all the education we could. She really values education.

A turning point for me was at school. I experienced some racism of course, but had a lot of good non-Murri friends as well. Mum and my aunties had told me stories of the injustices of the slave labour system they were forced into, so I was pretty hot about it. Then a girl wrote 'nigger' across my photo in the school album. I hit her. Mum and a drama teacher I admired made me realise that what I did was wrong, because violence does not stop problems - and it was wasted and destructive energy. So I learned to do things to help others, and that to me is much more important now.

So now I am helping mum write her story - in case you hadn't realised, mum's my hero and best friend. I've always had a really strong group of friends and relatives for advice and support, so I try to help others who haven't got that network, by providing support. I do a lot of voluntary community work - but it's not really work, it's what I love, and it's part of who I am.

Life's a journey, and I try to make sure that at every crossroad I work out what the consequences and implications of different actions will be, and then choose the best one. That means that I'm not living just for the future, but living for now in an empowered and empowering way. And that means that I can take lots of other people, especially disadvantaged young Murris, with me along the way.

Robert Poole

I am doing a part time course for a Diploma in Youth Welfare in Kyabram, country Victoria, and I am a welfare worker with youth.

Three years ago I would not have believed it if you said I would be in this position.

I was a real problem: kicked out of home at 14 because I was uncontrollable; into burglaries and drugs; living pretty hard and with not much future.

I was living in youth hostels and emergency accommodation, was still in and out of trouble, and had no-one to guide me, I guess, no-one I would listen to or take notice of.

But then I came across a Youth Worker at The Bridge Youth Service in Shepparton - and she was someone I could just relate to and listen to. Also, the House Parents I was with were really good, and gave me a lot of confidence, stability and affection. It was very hard to get out of the culture and mind set I was in, but their support and guidance and a lot of hard effort got me out.

I now work part time in the youth support area, help out at The Bridge, run workshops for the Victorian Association of Young People in Care, and am on committees which bring governments, non-government organisations, young people, carers and such together in ways which improve what is done in the area.

I guess part of the credibility that I bring now into the area is that I have been there, done that - having been through it, I understand what is going on. So a lot of young people can relate to me. I love the job I'm doing - it brings me great satisfaction, and it's an area I look forward to working in for a long time.

Donna Ritchie

Recently I was the manager of Community Relations for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, and captain of the Australian Women's Paralympic Basketball team.

Even when I was at school I wanted to be in the Communications/Public Relations area. Being able-bodied or disabled hasn't made any difference to me - I love this area, and do my job well.

The biggest obstacle in my life is when other people make judgments and decisions about what they think I can and cannot do. That really gets to me - I know my strengths and weaknesses, I know what I can and cannot do, and any judgments should be made on my real abilities, not on what other people think or expect. They can ask me or consult with me, but I want to make those decisions for myself!

And this happens to many people, not just the disabled. People might look at a young person and think 'they're not interested' or 'they're not very capable' or 'they won't like this', but they should not make those judgments. They are limiting people's opportunities and potential, and that's a very negative and limiting attitude.

But people have to make and take their own opportunities. I love my work and I love my sport, but I've got to that position by hard work and determination, and by knowing my own interests, strengths and weaknesses. I've also tested my limits and accepted challenges. Fair enough, there are things I cannot do, but I know that because I've tried them. And if I can't do it one way, I'll look for another way of getting to the same place.

I hate it when you see people, including young people, only seeing obstacles in their path. You have to be positive, get on and do it, not accept obstacles in your way, not just give in and give up! I prefer always to concentrate on what I can do, not what I cannot.

I've had great support from people - family, friends and team mates - and I have not had to go outside my group for good advice and support. But I've quickly learned which advice to follow and which to leave alone, and if I have to go outside the group for advice, then I am happy to do that. I'll go wherever I need to get what I need!

I suppose what I've really learned is that the key thing is to put yourself in a position to take opportunities that are there. You have to work to create and take them, but they won't just pop up and be there without any effort on your part. But once they are there, be in a position to take them and make the most of them.

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