At 25 years of age, Matthew, who lives with a hearing impairment, felt his opportunities for employment were extremely limited. Although applying and being extremely capable of many roles, his inability to communicate via telephone made the application process very difficult for him.
From the beautiful, beach side suburb of Secret Harbour, just south of Perth, Matthew decided to approach the Rockingham office of atWork Australia and seek help with finding good work. Here, he met his Job Coach, Shaquille, who was keen to advocate for Matthew through the application process.
By taking on communication on Matthew’s behalf, Shaquille could also clearly answer any questions that employers had around employing someone with a hearing impairment. It was obvious to Shaquille that Matthew would be an excellent asset for any company, and promoted his abilities to Employer Engagement Consultant, Brandon, who knows many employers open to working with people living with disability.
“Although Matthew had difficulties communicating when applying for jobs, he worked hard and consistently followed up,” says Shaquille. “This persistence ultimately led to him successfully gaining employment,” he says.
Matthew was over the moon when he found out that he was successful in his application. A trial period of three months was set to ensure the role was right for him, and the employer was so impressed with his work ethic they immediately offered him a full-time position and cancelled the three-month work trial.
Shaquille says, “Matthew has been a pleasure to work with, has a great attitude, and his commitment and hard work have been key to his success. He was so happy and thankful and he couldn’t stop smiling when he heard he had the job.”
Matthew loves his new role and is now studying part-time to complete a Certificate in Process Plan Operations, while still enjoying working full-time.
Every year, atWork Australia helps thousands of clients like Matthew 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.