How Kathy found a meaningful career in the health sector with the support of BRACE

When Kathy moved to Australia from Vietnam, she started working in an Aged Care facility. For a year and a half, she cleaned the facility and did the laundry. She looked up to the people around her, who were warm and kind to not only her but the residents they cared for.

After a while, Kathy felt like she wanted to make a more meaningful impact – so she enrolled in BRACE’s Certificate III in Individual Support with the goal of becoming a Personal Care Assistant. As a not-for-profit registered training organization, Kathy found care, support, and personal attention when she enrolled in her course.

Kathy said she felt nervous, “English is my second language. I did not feel confident that I could do it.”

BRACE Course Trainer, Julie disagreed with this. “I believe that it doesn’t matter who you are, if you bring your heart with you, you can make a difference.”

During the course, Julie educated Kathy on how to support people’s independence and wellbeing, equipping Kathy with technical skills and aiding her in improving her communication skills.

Kathy was supported throughout her course, “I struggled with assessment, but after sitting down and going over it with other students helped. My trainer was always there and reminded me to use my own words.”

Kathy felt like she was working towards a great career, “Joining this course is a gift and one of the greatest things I have done in my life.”

Today, Kathy is loving her new role as a PCA. “I really enjoy my role now, working with nurses, the PCA team. I am developing my communication skills and learning from the team. Every day is a different experience, and I am excited to go to work.”

“I feel so lucky that I have an amazing trainer and great classmates. I would not be a PCA today without them.”

Kathy believes if you have passion for care and want to make a difference, you can do it too. “If I can do it, you can do it.”

To find out more about BRACE courses, download our course guide. If you would like a career conversation, get in touch.