Hanna is a young carer. She is 19 years old, and for the last 12 years, she has been the sole carer for her mother with both intellectual and physical disabilities.

Her caring role influences every decision she makes, strengthens their bond, and gives her another reason to treasure every moment together.

Hanna heard about Your Caring while attending a Carers South Australia event.

“They explained the program and I thought it was a really good way for me to get started in the workplace.”

“I contacted them, and they enrolled me in the Skills for Success course. I learned how to build my Cover Letter; it was really good.”

“I had two coaching sessions, and they were definitely very helpful and very supportive.”

“My goal at the time was to build on my skills finding a job; also, after doing that I wanted to look for Student Placement.”

“It’s just my mother and me.”

“I’m a full-time carer, I’m studying Youth Work at the moment, and hoping to finish in two months.”

Over two months, Hanna had applied for seven different student placements and four of them had declined her.

“Being a young carer, it can be quite hard to get into the workplace. I had been looking for something for a while.”

“A worker at Your Caring Way got me a student placement with Anglicare SA, which is really good.”

“I can start as soon as possible. Hopefully, it’s two days a week or three if I can.”

“I’ve been very excited for my student placement. I can apply the theory that I’ve learned for the two years that I’ve been studying, and I get to learn about the workplace that I will be working at, in the future.”

“I will have to make an appointment with them and map out the times that I am available so we can set out a schedule.”

In her student placement, Hanna will be advocating for young people, working with culturally diverse clients, and will have the opportunity to work with other clients with mental health conditions too.

While she thinks about it, she imagines her new future.

“I would like to have a part-time job being a Youth Worker, in a pastoral care role. It would be a lovely job to have, and I think it would be very rewarding.

“Your Caring Way has definitely made a big difference in my life. It’s given me skills that I’ll use in my future career and my future journey in the youth work industry.

“My mum is very excited for me. She is very supportive of me and is glad to see there is a service that can provide me and other Young Carers with support for building skills in the workplace.”