The path to finding employment can be long and difficult, particularly for those who have been out of the workforce for an extended period of time. For those seeking work, the process can feel like being stuck in a never-ending cycle of applications and knockbacks.
For a while, Zac felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Despite being engaged with an employment service, he was having no luck securing work in the highly competitive Melbourne job market.
“I had lived in Queensland but since coming back to Melbourne I had, I guess, the unemployment blues,” he says.
“I was applying for my own jobs with no luck and at the same time my employment agency was finding jobs in their books. I wasn’t having much success.”
Zac’s breakthrough came when, through his employment agency, he learnt about Jesuit Social Services’ Workplace Inclusion Program. The hands-on program provides work opportunities for people experiencing significant barriers to employment, with the aim of changing and enhancing their lives.
One of the employers who had worked in conjunction with Jesuit Community College to offer work opportunities was Newman College, a residential Jesuit college at the University of Melbourne.
Newman College’s Services Manager Eugene was enthused at the idea of providing Zac with real world work experience.
“The idea of giving someone an opportunity stemmed from my experience in hotels where I gained experience across different areas,” he says.
“When we were approached by Jesuit Social Services and asked if we’d like to assist people to give them the opportunity to gain experience, we were very interested in giving something back to the community. We see it as helping ourselves as well as the candidate, while giving them something that will help them find a job.”
Zac joined Newman College in March and currently works 30 hours a week in a variety of areas including hospitality, housekeeping, fundraising, events and marketing.
“The variety of the role appealed to me. I like knowing every day is different, that I can go from the garden in the morning to the kitchen in the afternoon,” he says.
In addition to the work experience and hands-on training, Eugene says Newman College is assisting Zac to perfect his résumé and look for jobs.
“The College wanted to help Zac to assist him to get to the level he wants to be at. He has a lot of strengths, like the fact that when you give him a direction you know it will be completed.”
As for Zac, “getting into the swing of full time work” after a long absence means that for the first time in a while, he can see a future that involves steady employment.
“A big plus of this experience is to stay somewhere for a decent chunk of time and having a stable job on my CV,” he says. “I would say there has definitely been a change in my confidence levels since I started here and I’m really grateful that the opportunity came up.’ [Province Express]
Find out more about Jesuit Social Services’ Workplace Inclusion Program at www.jss.org.au.
