Moving on up – Article and photograph courtesty of News Corp – The Sunday Mail, October 2019 – posAbility
Five years ago, Robert Tedesco was struggling to find work after completing a bachelor degree in civil structural engineering. At the same time, Luke Beauchamp had just resigned from his job at an Adelaide graphic design company, frustrated with his role and the lack of respect he received from colleagues.
Today, Tedesco is a test engineer for the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Adelaide’s CBD. He’s also a happily married father of two. Beauchamp is a test analyst for DXC Technology, based alongside Tredesco at DHS. Both men acknowledge they have come a long way in a short period of time, thanks mainly to their participation in DXC’s Dandelion Program.
“Confidence would the one of the best things I’ve gained from the experience,” Tedesco, 27, says. “There was a time I was like, ‘Where do I go for work?’ This has given more permancy and stability to my life and enabled me to do a lot of things I wouldn’t have thought possible. I’ve bought a house now.”
Both men heard about the Dandelion Program from relatives working within DHS. Following a four-week assessment, they began their three-year workplace IT training scheme in 2014. “I had no job-specific technical skills prior to starting,” Beauchamp, 31, says. “Everything we needed to know we learned here.”
After completing their training program in 2017, DHS opted to extend both Tedesco and Beauchamp’s contracts. Both men agree the program has positively impacted not just their employability but also their personal development. “I learned a lot,” Tedesco says. “My confidence and self-esteem got a boost, especially after getting knocked back from job after job.”
Adds Beauchamp: “Socially I’m now a bit more outgoing but I think it’s I have more belief in myself and my abilities.”
