The new skills giving violence survivors fresh hope

West Australian

23-05-2025

After a lifetime of feeling worthless, a digital and social media marketing agency has given Juanita Cheetham the confidence to stand on her own two feet.
Growing up in a home marred by family violence and later fleeing her own violent relationship, Ms Cheetham found herself unemployable after being out of the workforce for nearly 15 years.
She was unable to pay her rent and stressed about how she'd afford Christmas parents for her children.
But she said that all changed when she applied to Humans of Purpose, a social enterprise that aims to solve Australia's tech skills shortage by retraining victims of domestic violence.
In the past 12 months, Ms Cheetham has been trained in digital tech and says it's given her financial independence and a new-found confidence across most facets of her life.
"I can actually look at myself in the mirror and not feel disgust," she told AAP.
"This journey has been so healing and I'm just so grateful."
Humans of Purpose founder Melanie Greblo came up with the idea after noticing significant skills shortages in tech sectors like digital marketing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data analytics.
She believes the solution lies in upskilling an untapped workforce of female survivors, many of whom rely on government benefits.
"They've been out of the workforce for some time," Ms Greblo said.
"The work they do with us means they are taking home about $600 more a fortnight than they would if they are not working.
"Which is amazing given the cost of living, but even more important than that is the fact they have stepped onto a career path that they love and can move forward to get paid really well."
The not-for-profit Humans of Purpose Academy has trained 250 family violence survivors, equipping them with the skills to earn an average 30 per cent more in their new careers, it says.
One recent report, from RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics, found reskilling women into tech-based roles could represent a $6.5 billion opportunity for Australian businesses and significant salary increases for employees.
Humans of Purpose's model was designed through the eyes of women who had experienced violence at home and who understood that life as survivors could be "pretty intense and chaotic" for years after they escaped abuse, Ms Greblo said.
Many would be juggling court proceedings, counselling sessions for themselves and their children, as well as the possible impacts of low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness on top of being unskilled for work.
Ms Greblo said Ms Cheetham, who now has her eyes set on a career in cybersecurity, was a shining example of what women could achieve.
"You just could never have imagined that when she escaped she would be where she is today ... it's truly phenomenal," she said.
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