Volunteering helps Tai Le prepare for paid work

Thirty years after arriving in Australia from Vietnam and having spent his career working as a process worker in manufacturing plants, Tai Le is ready for a change.

At the Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF) Sunshine campus at Victoria University Tai Le is training in the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program Level 2. The Program is helping him improve his English language and writing skills, as well as assisting him with his computer skills. 

An introduction to volunteering 

The SEE Program has also introduced Tai Le to volunteering. Having spent a fortnight volunteering in an ‘op shop’, Helping Hands, which sells second hand goods for charity, he’s ready for more.  “Navitas helped me find this volunteer job,” said Tai Le. “Volunteering with the op shop has been very good in giving me experience. I have made friends, and it has kept my body working. I like to be active,” he said. 

As well as helping others, it has improved his customer service skills. “Customers would ask me about the toys and videos,” he said. “I enjoy working with customers, I enjoy being friendly and helpful.” 

Tai Le is hoping to do more volunteering at the local library, and is waiting for his police and Working With Children Checks to be cleared before he is accepted. He is keen to start this volunteering work as it will help him practise his new computer skills that he learned in the SEE Program.

Learning new computer skills 

“I got my first email account at the SEE course,” he said, “and I am learning to look up websites.” 

“I enjoy working with customers, I enjoy being friendly and helpful”

Tai Le

“I am a bit slow,” he admitted, but he is keen to improve. “You can find out everything on the computer, I’m having fun looking things up!” 

His classes have also gone on fun excursions to places in the city and parks he hasn’t been to before and which help him practise his English skills. He also loves playing the quiz game Kahoot with his classmates which also helps him practise his English. “Sometimes I’m the last one to answer, but sometimes I’m the top of the class,” he said laughing. 

Improving his writing skills

Along with improving his English, the SEE training is helping Tai Le improve his writing. “I need more writing practice,” he said. “I have a lot to learn.”  

Tai Le intends to continue his SEE training, as he is enjoying it so much, and feels it will place him in a better position to get paid work.

He is also seeing other benefits in other parts of his life. One of his favourite things is watching action movies at the cinema. “Now my English is better, I can enjoy the movies more!” he said. 

The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. For those seeking language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills through the SEE Program, call Navitas Skilled Futures on 1300 798 111.