An ArtsLab success story

From our Creative Career Consultant Emily Norton:

“Ashe was one of my first clients on the ArtsLab Programme. He was a 22 year-old transgender male with no work experience and struggling with self-confidence. He also has a sight disability. I helped Ashe to approach Rainbow Youth and helped him formulate a plan to get some work experience and eventually be able to move into youth work. Over a year later I heard from him out of the blue.”

Recent message from Ashe:

Kia ora Emily! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you and the ArtsLab team, I just wanted to pop by and let you know that plan we had for putting me into volunteer work to get me connections worked better than I could’ve imagined!

After a year and a bit of volunteering with Rainbow Youth I’m stepping into my first real job next Wednesday with the company I’ve been running my Rainbow Youth group in! It’s a youth center in Takapuna called Shore Junction and I’m starting as a Trainee Youth Worker but I already have so much awesome stuff in store! It’s a facility for school kids to come hang out with a dance room, music studio, recording booth, robotics and tech spaces, and all sorts!

I’m also going to be helping out with one of their sister companies iLead that’s run by disabled people working to change how people in our community are treated and seen throughout the country, and I’ve already been offered to be flown down to Wellington next month to join in on a government conference with them!

So ecstatic for this crazy opportunity and wanted to give all my thanks for steering me down the right path.