The imminent arrival of a baby is cause enough for celebration, but now Benjamin and his partner can proudly add a new job to their list of achievements.
Benjamin recently gained employment as a cleaner with a local school after working closely with his Disability Employment Services Job Coach, Kristina from the Wollongong office of atWork Australia.
He had struggled for months to get back into work after badly injuring his shoulder. With rehab taking up much of his time, he was stressed about providing for his new family.
But while Benjamin’s injury prevented him from returning to past roles, his Job Coach was impressed with his dedication to finding a suitable new job.
“He was very determined to gain employment in the cleaning sector to be able to support his partner and baby, due in November,” Kristina said.
The whole process took 10 weeks before Benjamin successfully found employment. He made weekly visits to the office where Kristina coached him on job application techniques and helped him obtain the necessary checks for working in schools. She also took him through an interview skills training course.
Kristina arranged a meeting with a local cleaning and maintenance company, that had previously partnered with atWork Australia. She and her contact there discussed the requirements of an entry-level role and ways to speed up the recruitment process. Ben was then interviewed and soon after offered the job.
“If it wasn’t for Kristina being persistent and constantly calling the employer to follow up my application, I don’t know what other work I was going to look for,” Ben said.
The employer is also happy.
“I need more guys like Ben,” his supervisor said.
“He’s proactive, hard-working and never declines a shift. He’s been one of our best employees ever.”
After six weeks, Benjamin was recently offered permanent part-time shifts, proving his dedication not only to his employer but his family too.