SA Covid career changers: workers seek silver lining amid fitness, tourism and hospitality downturn

Workers around the world have been seeing their lives very differently since the arrival of Covid. Including these South Australians.

It’s no secret Covid-driven restrictions and lockdown have played havoc on people’s lives and livelihoods in vulnerable industries such as hospitality, fitness and international travel.

But in something of a silver lining, new and exciting careers have emerged out of the health crisis as many South Australians have risen to the challenge and revised their work aspirations.

We meet some who’ve used the disruption of the global pandemic to seize new training and work opportunities.

We hope you are an inspired by their stories as we are.

1. From international tourism agent to phlebotomist

Susan Mercer loved her work as an international travel agent and is pictured here pre-Covid on a famil in Japan. She has since trained to work in the health industry as a phlebotomist. Picture: supplied

When Covid struck, Susan Mercer, 46, was working as a travel agent specialising in round-the-world and business class airfares – an industry she’d worked in, and loved, for 18 years.

Nine months on and with no sign of international travel returning any time soon, she decided it was time to bite the bullet and retrain. But as what?

Susan Mercer is proud of her new qualifications and career as phlebotomist. Picture: supplied

“I liked the health sector but wasn’t sure in what capacity, so by a process of elimination I started looking at TAFE SA courses and applied for a course in pathology collection,” she said.

“This would give me the qualifications to become a phlebotomist something that interested me … it helps that I have no fear of needles, nor am I squeamish about blood.”

The six-month, full-time course offered a hybrid learning model combining online and practical components.

“I (now) work at different collection centres around Adelaide taking blood and other specimen samples from patients … every day is something new to learn and I still get to chat with people (patients), which was one of the enjoyable aspects of being a travel agent.

“Even though Covid threw a curve ball … I’ve learned that I can adapt and step up to the challenge of a new career.”

TAFE SA chief executive David Coltman said he was proud his education provider had helped those such as Ms Mercer transition into bright new careers.

“Through the pandemic, we’ve been really pleased to be able to help many people gain the skills they need for a variety of new employment opportunities,” he said.

2. From hotel and restaurant manager to police officer recruit

Probationary Constable in Training Josh Bone-George has used the Covid experience to pursue a dream new career, as a police officer … he’s in the final stages of training at the Fort Largs Police Academy. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Probationary Constable in Training Josh Bone-George is weeks away from graduating from the South Australian Police Academy – and the 29-year-old can’t wait to hit beat.

“I’m seven months into my training … and will graduate at the end of May,” the former hotel duty manager says.

He says mostly he’s looking forward to being a “role model within the community” and putting the lessons learned into action.

Josh Bone-George was working at a hotel in Adelaide’s east when Covid struck. He is now in training to become a police officer – and is thrilled by the unexpected career shift. Picture: supplied

“The training includes a variety of topics including law, policy, procedures and safety, as well as covering the professional standards expected of a police officer … it requires focus, dedication and persistence.”

Covid has provided him the unexpected catalyst to pursue a dream he might not otherwise have.

“I’m more resilient that I ever knew I would be,” he says, adding he has discovered many things about himself over the past few months.

3. From gym-based personal trainer to youth worker

Ben O'Hagan was working as a personal trainer when Covid hit. Picture: supplied

For 32-year-old Ben O’Hagan, working in the fitness industry as a personal trainer for almost a decade was the ideal job – and something he’d planned to expand on before Covid arrived.

“I had plans to open up my own personal training studio,” he says.

Instead, with ongoing restrictions at gyms, he started to look at other options, settling on youth work.

“I enrolled to do my Certificate IV and completed the course within 12 months and gained employment,” he says.

“I love knowing that I am (now) able to provide a positive and supportive role for young people who need that … and that the young people really enjoy having me as a carer.”

Mr O’Hagen, a new father, says while his life has changed course, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I couldn’t have imagined I would ever leave fitness … but I needed to find some stability and youth work has definitely provided that,” he says.

“I’ve learnt that I am resilient … and with some effort and persistence, I can adapt and shift my skills to a new area. I’ve also learnt that what I truly enjoy in my work, is when I am helping others.”

4. From real estate to organic fruit and vegetables

Jonathan Parini was working in the real estate industry but sought new work – and career opportunities – when his former employer couldn’t keep him at the height of lockdowns. He is now in charge of organic produce at Frewville Foodland. Picture: Kylie Fleming.

It wasn’t the career move Jonathan Parini, 29, anticipated but it’s opened up a whole new world of opportunity for him.

At the start of the global pandemic, Mr Parini was working for a real estate agency and building company.

“I had my real estate license (RLA) and was working as new house sales representative as well as established sales representative but when restrictions came in and house inspections were temporarily suspended, my boss let myself and several others go,” he said.

“Initially, I panicked and did feel worried … being a young lad with a mortgage and all that kind of jazz.

“But I applied at Frewville Foodland and got a job pretty much within a week.”

He started as an online picker before moving into the supermarket’s grocery section and then winning a promotion to organics co-ordinator in the fruit and vegetable department.

“My favourite part of this role is being able to talk to local farmers … I love the customer interaction but also telling the stories of the fruit and veg because it is all grown in South Australia,” he says.

“I honestly didn’t think this would be a career I would pursue but I love it … I feel very grateful.”

5. From chef to youth worker

Former head chef Nicole Smart retrained as a youth worker after Covid struck, impacting on many in the hospitality industry. Picture: supplied

She’d been a chef for 16 years, as a head chef the second half of her career, but when restrictions hit and hospitality work started to dry up Nicole Smart discovered she wasn’t entitled to claim JobKeeper.

“(For the first time in my life) I had to go on Centrelink,” she says.

But the 37-year-old used the forced time away to consider what she really wanted in life.

“It gave me the opportunity and time to think about changing my lifestyle and following my other passions … empowering young people and helping them through crisis was something I always wanted to do,” she says of her decision to enrol at TAFE SA’s Elizabeth campus to complete a Certificate IV in youth work.

Now a qualified therapeutic youth worker at Uniting Communities, she is loving her new role, secured a month after finishing her training.

“We should be showing empathy to young people in crisis … asking a lot more questions around how the young person has learnt these behaviours and what is behind them,” she says, adding she’s seen first-hand the rising mental health issues, domestic and family violence the pandemic has fuelled.

“What I love about my new role is that I get to empower young people and support them in being the best person they can be … and give them hope,” she says.

“I can take (my) skills like cooking and coaching basketball and use that to engage … and teach them life skills.”

Ms Smart says the experience has changed her own life.

6. Cafe and juice bar to aged care education co-ordinator

Natasha Tillson was working full-time in a juice bar but found new work – and passion – in aged care after Covid arrived in SA. Picture: supplied

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I worked full-time at a juice bar within the Adelaide Airport (but) falling passenger numbers meant I started working only one shift a week and I had to look elsewhere for more hours,” Natasha Tillson says.

She began at aged-care provider Southern Cross Care as a food service assistant in 2020 and has made the most of training opportunities given to her since, including in the area of administration.

“I now have a full-time role co-ordinating student placements across Southern Cross Care’s 17 residential care homes and help induct trainees, graduates and students into the organisation,” she says.

“Working in the aged care sector offers great flexibility and work-life balance … as a hospitality worker, I never had full weekends off.

“Now that I’m working Monday to Friday I can go back to playing sport, seeing my friends and socialising on the weekend.

“I never imagined I would take this career path however it has had a significant positive impact on me and I love it … to give something back is satisfying and rewarding at the same time.”

Southern Cross Care CEODavid Moran said there are many others, like Ms Tillson, now thriving in aged care.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen an increasing number of new staff entering aged care from other sectors because of the stability and flexibility our sector offers,” he says.

7. From chef to bakery manager

Greg Van Den Ende has moved from cooking in a kitchen to managing a supermarket bakery. Picture: Kylie Fleming.

For Greg Van Den Ende, 61, his work life has taken a twist rather than full turn on the back of Covid, transitioning from head chef at Pasadena Foodland’s instore restaurant to managing the bakery, when restrictions resulted in dropped seating capacity.

“I had been running the kitchen but in the downturn I came across to manage the bakery,” he says.

“It’s been a whole new concept … challenging but rewarding and I love the diversity of what we do – the variety of different beads, Danish pastries and hot cross buns.”

He says he feels lucky, too, to have been offered the workplace transition when he knows it has been much tougher for many.

“When seating capacity was reduced from 100 to 25 per cent, something had to give,” he said.

Adelaide’s Finest Supermarkets director Spero Chapley says his family-owned business, which runs both the Frewville and Pasadena IGAs, has committed to keeping people in work.

“We’ve been able to provide new opportunities to a number of people during the Covid pandemic across both our stores,” he says.

“We’ve seen people make the move to working in our stores from a range of industries including hospitality, real estate, travel and tourism, and have found that many people’s skills are easily transferable to working in a retail environment.”