After completing Year 12 just three weeks before the birth of her first child, Kimberly Brewster put her career aspirations on hold to focus on motherhood. Worried her lack of formal training and experience would stop her from becoming employed in business administration, Kimberly thought she would never be given a chance.

Securing a traineeship with Programmed and host company ConocoPhillips marked the beginning of a life-long learning journey that she says has changed her life.

“I had my kids quite early, at 18 and 19, and … you just have to do the best for your children and I have done exactly that,” she says.

Despite having two children under two, while she herself was still a teenager, and experiencing a stint of homelessness, Kimberly refused to succumb to a life of welfare dependency and under-achievement.

Propelled by a desire to give her children and herself a good start in life, Kimberly enrolled in a Certificate III in Business Administration at Charles Darwin University.

During her traineeship, Kimberley’s lecturers and advisors worked closely with her to monitor her progression which enabled her to reach her full potential.

“Every step of my experience has been amazing. I’ve had support from my GTO (group training organisation), my RTO (registered training organisation) and also my host employer. They have all pushed me to strive and do my best and now look what I have done!” Kimberly said.

Kimberly won the Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year Award at the 2018 Australian Training Awards.

She is now undertaking a Certificate IV in Business Administration and she provides sole administrative support for the ConocoPhillips 200 onshore team members.

“I am going to study a diploma in HR, or maybe project management, but definitely going to keep studying while I have got the study bug," Kimberly said.

Kimberly is a member of the Australian VET Alumni and is also an Australian Apprenticeships Ambassador within the Alumni.