- After her employment changed due to COVID-19, Career Transition Assistance helped Jacqueline to find a new role
- Since doing it herself, she now helps her customers at Bay Bargain Shoes find the perfect fit
Jacqueline adapted her skills when her employment situation changed during the pandemic in Sydney
For years Jacqueline had been working full time as a Barista at a little café in Batemans Bay. She loved her position, making coffee all day and talking to her regular customers.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect her hours. By May, Jaqueline’s hours declined so much she found herself needing the assistance of Services Australia.
That same month, Jacqueline came to APM Employment Services for job seeker support.
When she returned from caring for her sick father in Sydney, Jacqueline advised her Employment Consultant Christine that she was eager to study to increase her employment opportunities.
“At that time many forms of study had been redirected online” Christine recalled.
“With only very basic IT skills and knowledge, this made access a bit more challenging for Jacqueline.”
Christine referred Jacqueline to Career Transition Assistance (CTA) with APM.
Knowing that she wanted to improve her IT training and skills, Jacqueline attended the Batemans Bay site to undertake virtual training. Jacqueline walked away after three days of training setup with the right support, an email address and job search skills.
She tried and applied for several different positions. After a role as a cleaner wasn’t quite the right fit, she even considered starting her own business through a small business support program at APM.
Jacqueline was able to purchase a laptop using her Employment Fund to assist with her study and job search and utilise the skills she had gained from CTA training.
The Employment Fund also assisted in the purchase of some reading glasses to address Jaqueline’s declining eyesight.
In February 2021, Christine was approached by a well-known, long time business owner from the Bateman’s Bay area.
Bay Bargain Shoes owner Ken was looking to fill a sales position in his shop.
Ken was commonly known around town as Captain Shoehorn, as when he first opened his shop, his marketing strategy involved him running around the streets of Batemans Bay in a Superhero costume.
Ken operated his business using manual processes such as an invoice book, a pen, a cash tin, and ledger.
Christine knew this was the perfect position for Jacqueline. No I.T. hurdles, light work and customer-service focused. Jacqueline and Ken hit it off.
APM assisted Jacqueline by negotiating a wage subsidy and purchasing some work clothing, so she felt confident and ready to begin her new role.
Jacqueline has since hit her 52-week milestone in her role and continues to enjoy her work at Bay Bargain Shoes.
Injury, illness or disability and want to work?
You could be eligible for help in finding a suitable job from APM Employment Services.
As Australia’s largest provider of the Disability Employment Services program we help thousands of people with permanent or temporary disabilities, injuries, mental health conditions and other diagnosed barriers which may prevent them finding successful employment.
If you want to find out more, register with us today, or call our team on 1800 276 276 for more information.
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Looking for staff?
We don’t just support job seekers, we also help thousands of employers find reliable staff and access government incentives when hiring new employees.
If you’re an employer, you could access wage subsidies, plus funds for training and workplace modifications when hiring a person with disability for full or part-time work.
Plus, you will be enhancing the diversity of your business while making a real positive difference in a person’s life.
Find out more about this rewarding opportunity for employers by speaking to your nearest APM Employment Services team, or emailing support@apm.net.au.