PERTH – At 24 years of age and having recently graduated from university, David Chen was finding it tough to secure a job. Despite having more than seven years of volunteering and community work experience, David had never worked in a customer service environment before and wasn’t having any success with the jobs he was applying for.
David approached atWork Australia for help and together with his employment consultant, came up with a plan for getting him the right kind of work. atWork Australia organised for David to participate in a three-week Employability Skills Training (EST) program, which is a specific training program for the hospitality industry. The training is part of The Stadium Youth (STAY) Program, a collaborative approach between atWork Australia, VenuesLive and training provider, Skill Hire. The program aims to train and prepare participants to commence an internship at Perth’s Optus Stadium, with the prospect of employment at the end.
“David was a dream to work with,” said Kalusha Chulu, atWork Australia Business Manager. “From day one he was positive and looking forward to finding work.
“David has exceptional communication skills and was always well presented, we knew any employer would be lucky to have him as a member of staff.”
Following the completion of his skills training David was offered a three-month internship with Optus Stadium where he was able to move through different areas of business operations in customer facing roles.
“My employment consultant was really helpful in trying to find work for me and presenting me with different job options,” said David of his experience with atWork Australia. “It did take a while to find the best fit for me, but I was thrilled when my internship led to a job with the stadium.”
David is now employed at Optus Stadium as part of the Premium Product Team, which involves event set up and food and beverage service at premium functions. More recently David has been given extra responsibility working his first shift as a Functions Supervisor. David was recently recognised by Optus Stadium for his outstanding customer service, winning the inaugural “Yes Awards”, out of more than 2000 employees.
“I was really surprised to win,” said a humble David. “I just try to do my job consistently and to the best of my ability. I enjoy working and interacting with people so customer service is a great match for me.”
Here at atWork Australia we truly believe that there is a job out there for everyone. Our specialist teams work tirelessly to ensure we find all our clients the right job with the right employer. Let us help you too. Call us on 1300 080 856 or enquire online.