For a young dad in the Riverland region – a rural area in South Australia near the Victorian border – not having a driver’s licence doesn’t just mean you can’t drive, it means your world is small.
When Luke Mengersen first walked into our IntoJobs office in Berri, he was effectively stuck in neutral. He had limited employment history, no car, and was responsible for his young daughter. The barriers were stacking up, and without a way to get around, opportunities felt out of reach.
But Luke didn’t want a handout; he wanted a roadmap – and that’s what he discovered at IntoJobs.
Instead of just ticking boxes, Luke treated his time with our team like a training camp. He tackled the “Ready Set Go” skills training, a motivational and educational program designed to support job seekers who are having difficulty finding or sustaining long-term employment, to get work ready.
He knew his biggest hurdle was mobility, so he also threw himself into his driving lessons, clocking up the hours.
The shift in Luke’s demeanour was instant the moment he passed his driver’s test, and he didn’t stop there. He saved every cent he could to buy his own car. With his mobility now sorted, Luke levelled up again, completing a warehousing skillset to make himself indispensable to local industry.
The payoff came soon after, when he secured a role at a local winery. A job that requires reliability, skill, and the ability to show up. Today, Luke isn’t just a participant in a program; he’s a working father with a trade, a car, and a future he built himself.
IntoJobs services in South Australia are delivered by Mas National, both part of the IntoWork Group
