Meet Sidney – a creative 48-year-old Londoner. Before he started his journey as a dedicated Support Worker at Momentum Collective, his life consisted of all things artistic and making magnificent garments.
Sidney grew up in central London as a knitwear designer and started his own successful knitwear label which progressed for twenty amazing years. Sidney’s memories of his early teens involved looking after his ill mother and being her full-time caretaker, as she was afraid to lose her independence and wasn’t comfortable with a Support Worker.
Sidney’s life was busy running a knitwear label and caring for his partner who was diagnosed with cancer, but one of the biggest learnings for him, was getting first-hand experience in the health industry.
In 2017, Sid moved to Australia initially for love but decided he wanted a lifestyle change. When COVID-19 hit, Sidney found himself at a crossroads without an income. This pivotal moment in his life made him stop and re-consider his career and future, thinking about employment that would offer more security.
After pondering his life career options and speaking to an Aussie friend who was a Support Worker, the Entrepreneur decided to apply for jobs in the health industry. Without prior training or certificates in the disability sector, he applied for a pre-employment program in disability support work in October 2021.
The next day Sid heard back from the training apprenticeship manager, and this exciting new chapter began!
“I knew nothing about the care industry apart from my first-hand experience looking after my mother and partner. The traineeship program was the introduction I needed at the time to feel confident about going into disability support work“, said Sidney.
Sid went from working in a gardening job and other labouring roles down in Victoria to starting his trainee program with More Jobs, More Care and completing his training over four months.
“Sidney expressed his interest in working at Momentum, and after being interviewed, I instantly thought his profile matched perfectly with one of our Support Worker roles. Sidney moved up from Victoria and started working at our Empower! centre in Tweed Heads the following week”, said Janet, Momentum’s Recruitment Specialist.
“I feel so confident in what I’m doing there, and every day confirms I’m in the right place.” – Sidney, Momentum Support Worker
The moment Sidney walked in the door at our Empower! centre, he knew he had made the right decision.
Sidney’s future is still young, and even though he is used to being his boss, he is excited about this new career pathway. He hopes to progress his career in the care sector and dreams of adding his creative spark somewhere in the mix.
If you are looking for a career change, or want to find out more about our Support Worker roles please call our friendly team on 1300 900 091.
