Maddie talks about the support she has received from Forrest Personnel in finding employment as a Receptionist at the Lighthouse Beach Resort in Bunbury. Maddie suffers from depression and anxiety and needed help to find a job, as well as support at the workplace to help her sustain her employment despite her mental health condition.
Ben had a successful career in the Army Infantry prior to breaking his neck in an accident which left him as a C5/C6 quadriplegic. After a lengthy rehabilitation of 3 years in Perth, Ben and his wife Lauren moved down South to continue the rehabilitation process. Ben describes the years after his accident as being filled with some very low points. In the fourth year after his accident, Ben’s wife Lauren encouraged him to find a job.
Ben approached Forrest Personnel, who gave him the start he needed. Ben was employed on the front desk as an Administration Assistant. Ben had never worked in an office before and found it to be a real learning curve. Through the Federal Government’s Job Access program, Forrest Personnel organised workplace modifications to maximise Ben’s abilities in the workplace. After two years on reception, Ben was promoted to Safety Coordinator for Forrest Personnel’s 17 sites.
Ben is very grateful to Forrest Personnel who he says has “had a massive impact on my life and has given me a real sense of self-worth again. This is something that I was really lacking before, as I didn’t know what I would be able to do after the accident and who would want to employ a quadriplegic.”
It was while working for Forrest Personnel that Ben discovered his passion in life. An opportunity arose when a training company was looking for someone with a lived experience to present on access and inclusion. Ben fell in love with public speaking and has since moved on the become self-employed as a professional speaker, specialising in mental health, resilience and disability awareness. Ben names his company 30 Foot Drop to take ownership of the accident that changed his life.
To add to Ben’s success story, he could never have achieved what he has without the support of his loving wife Lauren and adorable 4 year old son Logan.
When Veronica first came to Forrest Personnel in Narrogin, she did not believe she would be employed by anyone because of her age. Added to this, Veronica’s illness prevented her from going back into her previous career in the retail industry. Veronica did not know what jobs she would be capable of doing, but she knew that she wanted to work again. After completing a Vocational Assessment with Forrest Personnel it became evident that Veronica enjoyed working with people and it was suggested that Veronica’s skill sets would be best matched to work as a Carer, either in Aged Care or in Disability Services. Veronica attended an interview at Life Without Barriers in Narrogin and secured a job as a Carer for a person with a disability.
Although Veronica was quite nervous about her new role, she used her past experience and transferrable skills in customer service to develop an excellent relationship with her client. Veronica loves her job and feels she is making a difference to someone’s life in a significant way. Her client is now more engaged with the community and Veronica feels valued, fulfilled and is better off financially.
Elias is a recent school leaver from Busselton who is working as a Trolley Collector while preparing for his future. After leaving school, Elias secured a work trial at Mitre 10 with the help of Forrest Personnel. Through this work experience he learned the value of customer service, attention to detail and use of equipment, which subsequently helped him secure his job as a trolley collector at the local shopping centre. His salary means he can save towards his goal to study Information Technology and pay for his driving lessons. Once he has his driver’s licence, he hopes to work as a courier which will provide a source of income to support him while studying. A Valuable Employee Elias prides himself on doing his job well and has created a game to keep him motivated. To win the game he must have more collected trolleys in the trolley bays than uncollected trolleys in the car park. This game demonstrates Elias’ impressive work ethic and encourages his productivity. Subsequently his hours have been increased by his employer. Elias is known and appreciated by customers, who have provided positive comments to the supermarket Manager.
“I like to work to help my family, because my mum has always helped me.”
Jessie works in the food preparation section at Hungry Jacks in Busselton. Jessie’s job involves preparing food, pouring drinks, and cleaning. A three week ‘work trial’ organised by Forrest Personnel helped Jessie secure her job at Hungry Jacks. Her manager places high expectations on Jessie, encouraging her to learn and extend herself. Jessie hasn’t yet decided what she wants to do in the future, so is focusing on increasing her skills in food preparation and learning as much as possible. Forrest Personnel continues to work with Jessie to improve her communication and people skills, in preparation for her future career advancement.
A Valuable Employee
Jessie enjoys doing the jobs that many young people her age tend to avoid. Working at Hungry Jacks is a perfect fit for her as her difficulty with speech and shyness means relating to customers is still difficult. Jessie has some on-the-job support from Forrest Personnel which assists with any job training she needs. Her employer is so impressed by the job support experience that they have now asked Forrest Personnel to find them five more young employees with disabilities.
“Jessie and the other guys are doing great, and we get lots of support as a team.”
The installation of a chair lift at a Call Centre in Manjimup has improved the working life of employee Michele Steele. Michele and the Centre’s Senior Manager Maria Vellios approached Forrest Personnel in Manjimup about assistance with workplace modifications. Mrs Vellios said the steps at the workplace were a challenge and were jeopardising Michele’s job as it was difficult for Michele to climb the stairs safely. Through the Job in Jeopardy program, Forrest Personnel organised the installation of a chair lift, as well as hand rails in the bathroom and an ergonomic chair and footrest.
Michele said “The chair lift has made coming to work a lot better as it was a struggle walking up the steps, but the chair has made it safer and it has made my employment at the Centre more viable”.