It had been a number of years since William* had worked full-time, due to living with a mental health condition. Nevertheless, he has been studying part-time and working on his PhD in History.
To be able to cover his living costs, he worked in a local factory but found the position unfulfilling and not suitable for his skill set. William has been a client of several Disability Employment Providers previously but didn’t find any suitable employment through them.
William then contacted atWork Australia in September 2019, with the aim to find part-time employment to complement his degree. He met his Job Coach, Dianne, in the Launceston office and set her the challenge to find him a job he really wanted and not just any job.
William is highly skilled, having attained a university degree, but needed support and direction as to where he could be applying for work. “Though William is confident, capable and clever, his mental health experiences meant that finding suitable, meaningful work was a bit of a challenge,” said Dianne. Due to his health condition, he could only work part-time.
Job Coach, Dianne, accepted his challenge and supported William to get his mental health on track. Dianne also reverse marketed William to employers, offering a wage subsidy which would allow them to create a part-time position.
Dianne connected William to a non-for-profit Community Volunteering Service. Dianne said: “Initially they were only able to offer 10 hours but thanks to the employer being eligible for wage subsidies, he was able to offer William 15 hours which was his desired outcome.”
Dianne adds: “William really appreciated our holistic approach centered around helping people, and how we discovered his strengths, listening and understood his barriers.“
William was grateful to have found employment that he actually enjoys.
atWork Australia supported the employer in accessing wage subsidies and creating a suitable position for William. William received assistance in finding a suitable position, support with purchasing work clothing and the Post Placement Support team stay in touch with William, there to help William settle into and navigate his new job.
William is now in sustainable work. Job Coach, Dianne, is still in regular contact with William. In great news, he was able to progress from an entry-level position to a higher position recently, which suits his skill set better.
His dream is to one day work in Politics.
At atWork Australia, we’re all about putting our clients’ needs front and centre, to get them where they want to be. Call us now on 1300 080 856 and let’s get started today.
