Fortunate childhood drives Matt to help others

Matthew Jones has taken up Counselling to help others, a profession in demand

When Matthew Jones was growing up he noticed that many children weren’t as fortunate as him.

‘I had a great family and a good childhood,’ the Lifeline Youth Support Coordinator said.

‘But I knew of others who weren’t so lucky.’

When he completed high school in Mildura, Victoria, he joined the Gold Coast-based Youth for Christ band.

Throughout 2005 Matthew travelled the countryside performing as a guitarist for Fusebox. The group had been given a 12-week counselling course before hitting the road.

‘We did some counselling with the kids we met and held workshops in schools. I got to talk to so many kids, and man, some of them needed help. I heard their stories and felt like I should help in some way.’

When Fusebox played to a number of Hervey Bay schools Matthew saw the University of Southern Queensland’s Fraser Coast campus.

He decided to come back to Hervey Bay to study when the tour was over and enrolled in the Bachelor of Human Services (Counselling) degree, which he completed at the end of 2009.

He said the degree was exactly what he needed to give him the skills for his current job.

‘The courses give students a good grounding in theory as well as practical experience. It was really good and I felt confident coming into work as a counsellor when I finished.'

‘I did a lot of research on counselling degrees, and this one is the best you can do.’

While studying, Matthew married fellow student, Bethany, on July 7 2007. On January 1 2011 they had a daughter named Holly.

Matthew’s job as a Lifeline Youth Support coordinator takes him to Urangan High, Hervey Bay High, Glendyne Education and Training Centre and Isis High at Childers. He works alongside guidance officers and chaplains, helping students who need assistance through counselling.

‘I do feel like I am helping,’ he said.

USQ Fraser Coast counselling lecturer Nathan Beel said there was a growing demand for counsellors.

He said there had been a 107 percent increase in counsellors employed in Australia during the past two years, to almost 30,000.

‘More and more employers are requiring their counselling staff to have a minimum of a degree, and 74 percent of counsellors now have one.’

USQ’s Bachelor of Human Services degree has five majors from which to choose – Counselling, Child and Family, Community Development, Human Resource Management and Indigenous Studies.

Further information is available from USQ on 1800 675 287.