Cam’s second chance leads to self-employment

From facing criminal charges and mental health issues, the road to success has not been easy for Second Chance participant *Cam. But with the right support and mentoring from CVGT Employment mentor Kelly, he’s now the proud owner of a car detailing business.

Getting connected to the CVGT Employment Second Chance program

At 21 years old, Cam was on a good behaviour bond following assault charges and several family violence orders. Consequently, he was mandated to join the Second Chance program, where he met Kelly, Youth Mentor for CVGT Employment’s Second Chance program.

“Cam had some experience in panel beating, having worked as an apprentice in a family-owned business,” said Kelly.

“We found him a few jobs working with cars, an industry he was passionate about, but he didn’t stay in the positions for longer than two weeks.”

“He struggled to learn and follow instructions, which was triggering for his mental health. I knew I needed to do something different to help him.”

The power of support when struggling with mental health

With his permission, Kelly extended an invitation to Cam’s mum to have a meet and greet at the CVGT Employment office.

“I wanted to understand a bit more about Cam, his work history and challenges he might be facing that I could help him overcome.”

*Cam’s mum opened up about his mental health struggles.

“Diagnosed with mild autism, anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Cam was facing so many mental health challenges he hadn’t disclosed before.

“I immediately knew Cam needed more support. We spent the next few months working closely together to apply for the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).”

With Kelly’s support Cam’s application was successful.

Getting the right funding and disability support was a huge relief for him and his family.
Kelly, CVGT Employment Youth Mentor

Discovering self-employment

When Cam told me he wanted to run his own business, I was thrilled! I could see the spark in his eye again and I knew this was the perfect career path for him. He could do things at his own pace.

Cam hit the ground running, and in his first month of operation, he had already turned over a $1000 profit.

To provide further support to sustain his self-employment goals, Kelly connected Cam to a financial counsellor to help him with accounting, tax and record keeping.

“I gave him coaching on local marketing and social media advertising to help him take his business to the next level.”

I am so proud of Cam! Goals that seemed unachievable are now his reality. I’m excited to watch him go from strength to strength. The future for Cam is looking very bright.