Meet Marites! Marites has been able to shine her talents at a busy hairdressing salon with support from our Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) program.
Originally from the Philippines, Marites is a friendly, chatty person who used to work in customs administration. But she had always dreamed of being a hairdresser.
A mixture of things, including being a carer for elderly parents, parenting teenagers and living with schizophrenia, had made it challenging for Marites to find the right kind of work.
When Marites contacted us, she hadn’t worked for 10 years. She was ready to dive into a new work adventure!
Marites chatted to us about her hairdressing dream and about wanting to find meaningful work that she could manage alongside her disability and busy schedule.
How IEA supported Marites to find her dream job
After Marites called her local IEA office to register, we set about making Marites dream a reality.
With her personal employment consultant, at her side, Marites was able to identify her skills and strengths. Together they found fun ways to build her confidence and prepare her resume.
“In Afford they look job for me…and I don’t have to worry about job search,” says Marites.
“They treat me like family.”
Marites’ employment consultant contacted a local hairdressing business to see if they were interested in employing a person with disability. They helped them understand the benefits Marites could bring to their workplace, and they were keen to give it a go.
The next step was to organise a job interview, and to practice Marites’ interview skills together before the real thing.
This helped Marites feel prepared and present herself at her very best. And it worked, because she got the job!
Marites’ professional highlights
Marites has been loving her job at the hairdressing salon ever since. Her boss has taught her new skills, and Marites feels more confident every day.
“I’m happy working at a hairdressing salon” says Marites. “It help your self-confidence to grow, you can use your time, your effort and your ability.”
“Afford supports me to feel good about going to work. I feel happy, I feel good about myself.”
Marites’ personal IEA consultant, has been with her every step of the way. She checks in with Marites and her employer regularly to make sure they are going okay and to see if there’s anything we can do to make things even better.
Get ready to shine your talents at work
Our friendly, skilled and caring employment consultants at our IEA program can support you to achieve your career goals.
Together we will work out your talent and get you ready to apply for jobs and get you and your workplace ready. We will give you and your employer ongoing support.
As one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit disability service providers, we have relationships with employers across the country. And our IEA team has a Net Promoter Score of 100 – this means that everyone who has used our services thinks we did a great job.
IEA used to be called Disability Employment Services (DES). DES changed to IEA on 1 November 2025.
To learn more about how IEA at Afford can support you to achieve your employment goals and shine your talents at work, call us on 1800 233 673 or fill out our online form.
Learn more about Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA)
