Marjorie is a cheerful worker in the aged care facility on the Harts Range (Atitjere) community, 145 km north-east of Alice Springs.
Her work at the facility is one more step in a lifetime of achievements for the energetic young woman who speaks English and two Aboriginal languages. Being partially blind since four-years-old, Marjorie also reads and writes in Braille.
Previously unemployed, an encounter with two trainers from STEPS led to Marjorie’s appointment at the aged care facility. Mark Laxton is a STEPS trainer who specialises in Home and Community Care (HACC), and Tim O’Dea trains in Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN). By chance, the two visited the Harts Range community together, and noticed Majorie’s enrolment for training. By putting their heads together and adjusting their teaching methods to suit, Mark and Tim trained Marjorie in Certificate II in Community Services, a prerequisite for employment at the aged care facility.
Through a process of verbal assessment and working alongside Marjorie, Mark was able to assess Marjorie against the certificate units. “It is these outcomes that make the work we do worth the effort,” said trainer Mark. “Being able to facilitate someone’s capacity to gain employment or move forward with their lives is worth all the energy and time in the world.”
STEPS’ trainers, working across 15 or so communities throughout Northern Territory, are renowned for their adaptability to suit each community and individual need, gaining government recognition for their work. Enthusiastic students like Marjorie are reaping the benefits. Despite her disability, Marjorie is a keen student and sportsperson, having previously earned a Diploma of Language from the Bachelor Institute, and won multiple medals for athletics at the Pan Pacific Games.
