At 63 years old, Coral, originally from Hong Kong, thought her working life was finished. She didn’t think anyone would want to hire someone of her age.
She started working with her Job Coach, Teri, at the Adelaide Disability Employment Services office, after being unemployed for 13 years.
For the past few years, Coral had been supporting her English teacher, music teacher and friend, during their end-of-life care. Coral was devastated when they passed away.
Her Job Coach, Teri, made sure Coral was receiving help for her grief. Teri thought Coral would make a great employee in the Aged Care industry due to her compassion and because she already held a Certificate III in Aged Care.
“She had recent lived experience and her compassion for caring for the elderly and wanting to keep them in their own homes for as long as possible, would bring value to her future clients,” said Teri.
Teri continued, “Coral was hesitant to start looking for work. She was nervous and lacked confidence due to her time out of employment.”
Together they looked at opportunities in the local area and applied for a few roles. Teri supported Coral to work through the online applications.
“Coral quickly got noticed and landed a role as a Support Worker in Aged Care.”
Teri provided all the assistance she needed to gain her clearances and booked in her manual handling training.
atWork Australia supported Coral to purchase suitable work clothes and sat with her during her training to make sure she understood the modules with her language barrier.
Coral said, “It is a miracle”. She was over-joyed with the outcome; her confidence and self-esteem were instantly boosted.
“Coral said she never imagined she would be beginning a new chapter of her life at 63. She said she could not have done it without atWork Australia’s support and assistance with every step of the process,” said Teri.
“As a Job Coach, it is very rewarding to witness the change in someone by just showing up for them and treating them the same as everyone else.”
The atWork Australia team will continue to support Coral through In-Work support and look forward to hearing about all her successes.
Every year, atWork Australia help thousands of clients like Coral, expand their skills and qualifications to help them gain the right job with the right employer. Call us today on 1300 080 856 or enquire online to find out how we can help you meet your career goals.