Supporting customers to become job-ready

“When I finished school I needed help getting into work. My mum found out about Northcott’s Work & Study. For the past few months, I’ve been working in a warehouse. Things are good. I am happy where I am at the moment,” says our customer Ben.

Twenty-year-old Ben has been accessing Northcott’s Work & Study program at Northcott Parramatta since the start of 2017. In his first year he attended the program three days a week to build his skills in finding and keeping a job and to access support to find work that appealed to him.

“At Work + Study, Northcott taught us how to approach people, how to dress for work and lots of information about applying for jobs. We learnt communication skills, teamwork, worked on resumes and how to search for jobs. I also learnt how to know where I am going wrong and how to make it right,” Ben says.

“I had learnt some of this at school, but Work + Study was good to reinforce it. The most important thing I have learnt is how to be confident.”

Earlier this year, Northcott supported Ben to secure work experience as a warehouse picker and packer at online retailer, Edisons. Ben proved to be well suited to the job and after a few months landed a casual role working two days a week at the warehouse.

“When I started work experience, my Northcott Key worker Richard would stay all day and give me a hand if I needed it. He is very supportive. Now I have a really good strong connection with the other people who work there. If I have a problem, I can go to Michael, who is a co-worker or my supervisor, Kyra, and they will help me out.”

To give him more skills and knowledge for his job Northcott also supported Ben to complete a Statement of Attainment in Introduction to Working in a Warehouse Distribution Centre from TAFE NSW. The course was part of pilot project in which TAFE NSW is collaborating with Northcott to support young people with disability to obtain qualifications.

Ben says he is “definitely happy” with life at the moment and working at Edisons. Through Vocational Skills, he has gained a job, new skills, more confidence and made new friends.

“What I’ve enjoyed most at Northcott is the people that I’ve met. I don’t have many friends that I met in high school. Coming here I was able to meet people that have been through tough times as well. I like being connected with them and being friends with them.”