Kylie is highly skilled – but finding new work was harder than expected

Kylie Watson didn’t always believe she was as good as she looked on paper. Despite an impressive CV and career as a talented project manager, she had been surprised – and a little dejected – by how difficult it was to find suitable roles. After spotting an advertisement on television, though, she registered for the FW Jobs Academy. 

“It actually made me feel like I could get dressed up that day, go in front of the computer and be part of a team again,” she said at the launch of the Queensland FW Jobs Academy for 2024 in Brisbane. “That was really important to me, because I’d lost that.” 

Speaking from the offices of FW Jobs Academy priority partner employer Cyber CX on Friday afternoon, Kylie shared the three main benefits she gained from the free, year-long and fully virtual program. It gave her a calendar of self-directed options to upskill; it connected her to a network of women experiencing similar feelings; and it reaffirmed a diminished belief that she was the same woman on her resume – someone worth hiring.

FW Jobs Academy member Kylie Watson, left, and Queensland Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman, right, at the launch of the Queensland FW Jobs Academy 2024

Kylie is now employed in a sector she never expected to be working in: renewable energy. “I think it was timing,” she said. “I saw some opportunities, doors were opening, I took on a P.A. role and found myself in renewable energy. I knew I had to do something different and go forward, so I’m happy with that.” 

“It’s really important to have one group you can come back to and keep going. You trust that you can keep going, and you’ll be okay.”

Kylie threw herself into the Academy and says she took every opportunity offered – mentoring sessions, resume consultations, courses on interviewing skills, as well as consuming FW podcasts and webinars. “It built up some confidence that what was down on paper [on my resume] was actually me,” she said. “I went in there [thinking] ‘what have I got to lose? I’ve got everything to gain.’” 

In great news for women like Kylie who are living in Queensland, the highly successful program is expanding across the state in 2024. Jobs Academy, which is supported by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women, has received a $3.2 million investment from the Queensland government to support up to 500 additional women over the age of 40 into work or training in the next two years.

“Enhancing opportunities for women to actively and meaningfully participate across the Queensland workforce is fundamental to us achieving gender equality and ensuring a prosperous and resilient economy,” said Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman. 

Although Kylie’s story is unique to her life, her experience mirrors hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of other women who are either struggling to find work or secure enough hours. Research from Chief Executive Women suggests that unlocking women’s workforce participation is the key to solving Australia’s skills crisis. In fact, this research found that halving the workforce participation gap between men and women would add another 500,000 skilled workers to the nation’s economy. 

The National Skills Commission estimates the need for an additional 1.2 million workers across the economy by 2026. And while women’s workforce participation – the number of women looking for work or in paid employment – is at a record high at 62.2 percent, that is still notably lower than the male rate of 71.2 percent. 

Kylie Watson is grateful for the Jobs Academy peers who have become her ‘group’. In them, she says, she found faith that she could persevere in the face of rejection. That they all could. 

“It really doesn’t matter where you come from or what your background is,” she said. “It’s really important to have that one group that you can come back to and keep going. You trust that you can keep going, and you’ll be okay.” 

About CyberCX

CyberCX is a leading provider of professional cyber security and cloud services across Australia and New Zealand and priority partner employer of Jobs Academy. The CyberCX Academy is an industry-leading entry-level program for cyber security specialists. It is a 6-month paid, permanent, full time employment opportunity designed to launch your career in cyber security. No prior experience is necessary.