Daphne O’Meara—My Citi New Recruits Journey

Employed by WPC Group and hosted to Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Airport, 2nd Year Light Vehicle Apprentice, Daphne O’Meara has come a long way since completing a Citi New Recruits program in June 2019.

After spending an afternoon watching Formula 1 racing with her Brother-in-law, Daphne became hooked on motorsports and was determined to learn what goes on under the hood of a car. She now works on some of the most “beautiful and well-designed cars on the planet.”

Struggling with depression, anxiety and achieving only a Year 7 education prevented Daphne pursuing her dream to work within the automotive industry, an industry in which she only had the experience of completing a Certificate II in. “I lacked the social and skills and confidence that it takes to walk into a job interview at all, let alone for a job I had so little experience in.”

Hearing about the Citi New Recruits program run by the FutureGen Foundation and the work experience opportunity it presented, Daphne took on the opportunity to expand her skill set, work on her confidence and employability skills and improve her chances of landing an automotive apprenticeship.

Putting her all into the two week program, Daphne undertook a week of work placement with Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Airport as part of the final week of the Citi New Recruits Program. Impressing her supervisor throughout the week, she was then offered a light vehicle automotive apprenticeship at Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Airport.

Being an apprentice at Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Airport opens up many future employment opportunities for Daphne. Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Airport is part of the LSH Auto Australia group which comprises of eleven outlets across Australia.

Daphne says her life has changed for the better since commencing her apprenticeship two years ago. She has had many new experiences and has met lots of people from different cultures and backgrounds. She has felt the sense of accomplishment from fixing a car from start to finish, lifting her self-confidence and problem solving skills. “I get the sense of independence and feeling like an adult. I feel I’ve grown as a person so much, and the skills I learn at work translate to my life outside of work. When people ask me what I do for a living, I’m proud to say I’m a technician at Mercedes-Benz.”

The Citi New Recruits program helped Daphne get the start she needed. “Doing the Citi New Recruits program taught me that attitude is paramount. I had no confidence and very little social skills, but my energy and passion made every new experience an adventure. It taught me that if you show up every day with a good attitude, good things will come to you.”

Daphne’s goal now is to complete her apprenticeship and keep working in the automotive industry. With the security of knowing that she is on the right career path, she now knows that she can succeed in everything she does, and thanks FutureGen Foundation, and the Citi New Recruits program for many life changing experiences.