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The happiest support worker
29-year-old Alex is one of the most affable and enthusiastic support workers you’ll come across.
His lived experience with autism makes him a great fit for his job, but it wasn’t that long ago he struggled to believe he would ever find work.
“I couldn’t talk to anybody” Alex said.
“I couldn’t even walk outside and say hello to people because I was so shy.”
Alex was employed with support from the Disability Employment Services Program, delivered by APM Employment Services.
Today, he has transformed.
Supported all the way
“Not having a job made me feel like I couldn’t do anything” Alex recalled.
When it came to searching for a job, Alex had difficulty with his speech and communicating with other people.
He also benefited from additional guidance to learn new tasks, taking a little more time to commit tasks to memory.
APM helped Alex build his confidence by connecting him with training courses and getting his driver’s licence.
“APM really supported me through difficult times” he said.
Alex’s employer Shannon describes the impact hiring Alex has had in her business:
“Putting someone with a disability in to help other with a disability is a really empowering thing.”
And the effect this has with their clients:
“Some clients and their families were apprehensive at first, but after working with Alex and seeing how fantastic he is with their clients, it gives renewed hope for what their own family are able to achieve.”