Creative Collaboration Helps Participants Build Skills and Confidence in Bendigo

At are-able, we believe in creating opportunities for people to explore their passions and build meaningful pathways to work. Recently, in Bendigo, we saw a wonderful example of this when two of our participants, Tilly and another individual, collaborated on a creative project that benefited both of them.

Tilly, who is studying animal studies and vet nursing, joined our Employment Assistance program to enhance her skills and boost her pet-sitting business, Onyx Paws. She was looking for ways to improve her social media presence. Meanwhile, another participant, who has been with us for nearly a year through School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES), was keen to explore his interest in photography as a potential path to paid employment. Our mentors, Kaitlin, Codie, and Helen, saw a fantastic opportunity to bring their goals together.

We organised a special session where the SLES participant could act as the photographer for Tilly’s business. With the support of our mentors, he directed Tilly and a staff member’s dog, Humphrey, capturing some fantastic shots. This experience allowed him to expand his photography portfolio and gain practical experience in a supportive environment. For Tilly, it was a chance to step out of her comfort zone, build her confidence, and get professional photos for Onyx Paws. She shared that the session was really good and would help her business, adding, “at first I did feel nervous as I don’t usually like photos, but it also helped me build my confidence up, so I am really thankful for are-able’s help and for setting it up.”

This collaboration highlights how we support people to build skills, confidence, and pathways to meaningful work. By fostering these connections, we help individuals explore their interests and develop valuable experience, showing how local support can create real impact. We are proud to see our participants thrive through such engaging and practical experiences.