Bob Bacchetto - Disability

I was working in the ACT fire brigade for about 24 years when injury and redeployment forced me to find a new career at 48 years old.

I was interested in working with kids with disabilities in schools, but after a few job applications and interviews, I realised I wasn't going to get a job without some sort of qualification.

I initially enrolled in the Certificate III in Disability at CIT, and eventually went on to complete the Cert IV in Disability.

I absolutely loved the courses. When I initially went through school, I couldn't get out of there quick enough and I thought I'd struggle going back to study. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. In particular I liked the more relaxed atmosphere of the classroom, and as a class we became a very tight-knit group.

Now that I'm out in the workforce, I really find that a lot of the things I learned are what I put into practice. During the Certificate III I did a placement at a school, and through the contacts I made, I am now working at the same school. I'm working as a learning support assistant, and I absolutely love it.

It's really changed my whole working situation – I was quite disappointed when I had to leave the fire brigade, but have found something that I prefer doing. I was planning to retire at 55, but I don't think that will happen now.