After a desperate time trying to kick a serious drug habit and restore his mental health, Craig is clean and working once again to support his family.
When Craig, 34, approached atWork Australia’s Mandurah office earlier this year, he was determined to find work after feeling he’d been let down by other job providers. It had been two years since he’d last held down a job and he urgently needed someone to believe in him.
Over this time he had also overcome drug addiction and was eager to continue his recovery by finding work.
Disability Employment Services Job Coach Lauren said she was honoured that Craig decided to register with atWork Australia after hearing about his life struggles.
“Craig has achieved so much personal growth in overcoming his addiction and mental health issues and all he wanted was for someone to give him a hand on this last leg of his journey to recovery,” she said.
Lauren worked one-on-one with Craig to develop a work plan that suited his individual lifestyle, skills and abilities. Having previously worked as an offshore rigger, Craig was keen to find employment within the oil industry, however his licences had expired.
atWork Australia connected Craig with a training centre and enrolled him in the required courses, including basic, intermediate and advanced rigging. Once complete, Craig could again demonstrate he had the skills and knowledge to safely and capably work on an oil rig.
During subsequent sessions, Lauren tailored Craig’s resume to focus only on oil rigging, and gave him tips to support his interview performance. She helped him develop a list of potential employers, and introduced Craig to reputable companies in the sector. While he was job hunting, Craig also received travel assistance over the five weeks. All the while, Lauren made sure he was ready for each individual step of his plan to maximise his chances of success.
Within a couple of months Craig was interviewed by a leading mining contractor in Perth and later offered a full-time job. According to Lauren he was overwhelmed.
“After feeling so defeated by others who wouldn’t help him, he was stunned to be given this opportunity,” she said.
Craig is now faring well and has high praise for atWork Australia and his Job Coach.
“I am so grateful for all the effort Lauren put in to help me obtain the skills for employment and a suitable job,” he said.
