Because of Her, We Can Ebook Female Leader, Julie-ann Lambourne said, “When you see a person go out the same door they came into carrying all sorts of burdens, now full of hope and confidence, you feel that your work is genuinely making a difference in people’s lives.”
Share with us how overcoming your own experiences of growing up in extreme poverty and serious trauma lead to you to create enVizion Group to help others.
Growing up in extreme poverty and serious trauma drove my passion to be a part of creating enVizion Group Inc. so that other people who have this lived experience feel they have a place to go where they will be treated with dignity, respect and understanding. I grew up feeling hopeless and alone, so enVizion instils and builds on hope so people can see beyond their circumstances and reach their individual potential.
We create an environment based on success, not failure and provide programs that lead to real opportunities. I want people to feel part of an extended family and know that no matter what they’ve been through that they are valued and our staff will always have their back. Years after they have finished programs, many of our people return just to say hello or to seek additional support and guidance if they feel they are going off-track.
enVizion Group is based on a premise of building hope and parity. What outcomes have you seen from using this approach?
It is such a joy to be a part of a student’s journey who has experienced severe trauma and their positive transition, through the intensive and individualised approaches we undertake to assist them. This includes them gaining employment, including the long-term unemployed and those who have never had a job due to low language literacy and numeracy (LLN), addiction, mental or physical health disabilities or other types of disadvantage.
enVizion has assisted people in various areas such as from homelessness into housing, from limited LLN to creating their own story books and from disengaged young people to becoming entrepreneurs. Another great outcome is watching the world open to people participating in our digital literacy programs, many of whom have never turned on a computer previously. When you see a person go out the same door they came into carrying all sorts of burdens, now full of hope and confidence, you feel that your work is genuinely making a difference in people’s lives.
Tell us about how you use innovative techniques like the ‘power in your story’ and environmental healing to build skills.
enVizion utilises traditional practices to complement western techniques because it gives people context and the opportunity to become part of something greater than their current situation. There is a great deal of healing that occurs when people connect to their environment. Cultural and non-cultural connections provide contextualised information that accelerate learning. We take people on country with elders and use personal stories and photographs to fast-track learning to read and write. I share my story of how I personally overcame lack of education, addiction and violence so they can see that it is possible to rise above current circumstances to become the best possible version of yourself.
From your experience as a Board Director, how would you like to see companies change the way they currently operate to create the future of work?
The workplace is changing very rapidly due to emerging technologies, increased automation, and the off shoring of manufacturing and services, and we need to prepare the next generation of workers and employers for entirely revolutionised workplaces. We need companies to place greater value on corporate citizenship in how they conduct their business and invest now in skilling workers for future jobs with government partners. Indigenous knowledge systems have much to offer in how business is conducted and we need to be investing in upskilling and training Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, so they are represented at higher level roles in government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
The National Because of Her, We Can Ebook is a tribute to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Right across Australia there are endless examples of strong and successful Indigenous women leading the way. This Ebook shines a light on 12 of our country’s Indigenous women, including four Queenslanders, who are leading and succeeding in business. These women show the strength, resilience, hard work, creativity and intelligence that are crucial elements in business success. Their stories, journeys and the lessons learned are as diverse as they are, but all offer inspirational advice.
The Honourable Di Farmer MP
Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence
Queensland Government
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