Meet Louis, he’s 31 years old and he describes himself as "a little bit different."
"When Louis came to APM, he had been trying to find work on his own for quite a period of time," his Employment Consultant Jeni recalls.
As a result Louis was struggling with his confidence when it came to finding a good job.
However, if you were one of the visitors to Care DX Labs in Fremantle you wouldn’t think Louis ever suffered from a crisis of confidence.
An essential and charismatic member of the team, he’s the friendly face that greets you as you walk in the door.
Whether you’re visiting for a meeting, making a delivery or a potential new client, Louis is there to make everyone feel welcome.
"It’s been a good learning experience"
Read a full transcript of this video.
Bringing joy to his work
Louis lives with epilepsy and a learning disability and had struggled to find work he was passionate about.
When it came to applying for jobs, he experienced a series of knockbacks which lowered his confidence.
His Employment Consultant Jeni saw how she could empower Louis with the confidence of knowing he had a support network of people who had his back.
“I wanted him to know that APM would be there for any kind of support he did need along the way” she said.
Since he joined Care DX, Louis has become a bit of an all-rounder; taking on administrative and office management duties, along with constructing and packing clinical testing kits.
Jeni shares the change she’s seen in him:
“I’ve seen a lot of self-worth and growth in him since he’s been working” she said.
“He has an ability to make people laugh and bring a lot of joy to every situation.”
Louis brings plenty of charisma and laughter to his workplace, well-known for his joke-telling:
"As a great lady once said, 'a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down'; I consider myself that spoonful of sugar."
"I feel the future is pretty bright"
All jokes aside
His employer Hayley remarks that Louis “brings a lot of livelihood and character into our office.”
She praises his work ethic, along with his organisation, self-motivation, and meticulous work ethic.
“He’s a lot more confident” Hayley said, talking about how they’ve continued to expand Louis’ role.
She spoke about how simple working with APM has been, to support Louis through the Disability Employment Services program.
“I think it’s been a good learning experience for us. We haven’t noticed Louis’ disability. It hasn’t affected his work with us or with the team.”
APM Employment Services has supported more than 120,000 job seekers with an injury, illness, or disability into work over the last two years.
Hayley aptly describes the positive impact hiring people with disability into their workforce:
“I think it’s very rewarding. It’s important to make sure we’re contributing to society and to make sure we are giving everybody an equal chance to fill these roles, to feel part of the team and part of the community.”
When asked how he feels about his work, Louis’ response really says it all:
“I feel the future is pretty bright.”
"It’s a confidence builder, gain skills for life, learning new things"
Are you eligible for Disability Employment Services?
You can join APM for Disability Employment Services through Centrelink.
When you visit Centrelink, they carry out an employment assessment and if you're eligible, they will recommend you to a Disability Employment Services provider. Remember to ask to join APM so you get the best service when searching for employment.
To be eligible for Disability Employment Services, you must be:
- An Australian resident aged from at least 14 to pension age
- Receiving an income support payment, disability support pension, an NDIS participant or an eligible school leaver
- Able to work between eight to 30 hours per week (with support when required)
- Not studying full time (unless you’re an eligible school leaver)
- Not already working at or above your assessed work capacity
If you're already receiving an income support payment, you can also register with us directly.
If you’re with another provider, but would like to change to APM, contact us and our teams will be happy to speak to you.
When you visit Centrelink, they carry out an employment assessment and if you are eligible, they will recommend you to a Disability Employment Services provider.
Remember to ask to join APM so you get the best service when searching for employment.
If you’re with another Disability Employment Services provider, but would like to change to APM, contact us and our teams will be happy to speak to you.
Frequently asked questions
APM is the largest provider of Disability Employment Services in Australia.
With more than 500 locations across the country we help more people into work than anyone else.
We know how hard it is to find work when you’re facing other challenges. We don’t just want you to find a job, we want to help you change your life for the better.
When you come to APM we get to know you so we can help you get the support that’s right for you.
We help you set realistic goals and keep you focused on finding a job that works for you.
There’s a job out there for you.
Let’s go find it.
Disability Employment Services (DES) is an initiative by the Australian Government to help people with an injury, illness or disability find and keep a job.
This can include helping people to:
- manage health issues that may be making it hard to get work
- identifying their strengths and work capabilities
- developing skills for jobs and being part of a workplace
- succeed when they start a new job with further information and support
APM is Australia’s largest contracted provider of Disability Employment Services and we deliver support programs to eligible people across the country.
You can join APM for Disability Employment Services through Centrelink.
When you visit Centrelink, they carry out an employment assessment and if you're eligible, they will recommend you to a Disability Employment Services provider. Remember to ask to join APM so you get the best service when searching for employment.
To be eligible for Disability Employment Services, you must be:
- An Australian resident aged from at least 14 to pension age
- Receiving an income support payment, disability support pension, an NDIS participant or an eligible school leaver
- Able to work between eight to 30 hours per week (with support when required)
- Not studying full time (unless you’re an eligible school leaver)
- Not already working at or above your assessed work capacity
If you're already receiving an income support payment, you can also register with us directly.
If you’re with another provider, but would like to change to APM, contact us and our teams will be happy to speak to you.
When you register with APM for Disability Employment Services, we will contact you to confirm your eligibility and invite you for your first appointment.
You will get a local employment consultant who knows the employers, businesses and job opportunities near you.
They will listen to you and build a plan that takes into account your health, personal circumstances, interests and any skills or experience you may have.
Your plan will be unique to you and include steps to help with:
- building your confidence
- writing your resume and job applications
- searching for suitable jobs with potential employers
- preparing for interviews
- access to services to manage health issues or barriers to work
With APM, you get the support, you get the skills and you get the rewards of having a valuable job.
Don’t miss out on a program made just for you, by one of Australia’s best-rated providers.
APM has some of the highest job placement rates in the country.
You can transfer to your nearest APM team in three easy steps:
- Call the National Customer Service Line on 1800 805 260
- Ask to transfer to APM
- Accept our invite to your first meeting
Join the thousands of APM job seekers who change their lives every year by finding valuable employment.
APM is Australia's largest provider of Disability Employment Services and we have more than 500 locations nationwide.
You can find your nearest APM team on our
Find Us page.
There are jobs out there.
We can help you find them.