Justin’s jumping for joy

Justin is our most recent Penrith SLES trainee to have gained open employment thanks to his hard work and determination. Our SLES and DES teams worked together on Justin’s plan for success and secured him a trial shift at Emu Hall restaurant. Staff were blown away by Justin and he was lucky enough to secure the part-time role he had been dreaming of for the past two years.

Afford’s Employment Services are experienced teams that will help you find your dream role so you can gain a sense of purpose, fulfilment and independence.

“Justin joined Penrith SLES in 2019. While he was not sure which industry he wanted to work in, he was determined to reach his goal of gaining open employment,” said SLES Senior Vocational Trainer, Sharon Figl.

A standout memory in Justin’s SLES journey was when his trainers planned a mock interview session to prepare for real-life speed interviews with local businesses. The training gave him valuable practice and he received great feedback from the interviewers.

“These experiences gave Justin a burst of confidence and he joined our Wednesday job club sessions. Soon enough, Justin had a burning desire to work so we joined forces with Blacktown DES,” continued Sharon.

Even during this year’s extensive lockdown period, Justin did not give up on his dreams. With the help of SLES Coordinator and Vocational Trainer, Tayla Clark, Justin created his virtual resume and sent it out to local businesses.

Recently, DES Employment Consultant, Grace Ciempka, liaised with a network of employers and secured a trial shift for Justin in the kitchen of Emu Hall Restaurant at Nepean River.

“He is a natural talent and has an eye for detail so by the end of the trial, Justin had proved that he would be an asset to Emu Hall and was offered the job as a kitchen hand,” said Sharon.

Justin was over the moon to have achieved his long-term goal of working two days per week in open employment. A huge congratulations to Justin from your Afford family.

Whether you are just graduating high school or have experience in the workforce, Afford’s Employment Services can help you find your next adventure.