Nori (left) and Employment Consultant Carol Warren
Nori arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2017. He experienced periods of unemployment before finally securing stable employment with Jobfind’s help seven months ago.
As a father of three, stable employment in a job that’s close to home in Fairfield means more security for him and his family.
Now, Nori enjoys his work as a car wash attendant. He’s made new friends and feels more connected to his community.
“It’s good, much better than not working,” says Nori.
A 5-star disability employment service in Fairfield
Amara Nasar is the Business Manager at Jobfind’s disability employment service (DES) in Fairfield; her team consistently delivers a top 5-star service in the local area.
“I’m very proud to be part of a team that goes above and beyond every day to help our clients secure the dignity of work,” says Amara.
DES star ratings are administered by the federal government’s Department of Social Services. They represent the quality of service that disability employment service providers offer their participants.
For people like Nori, a 5-star service at Jobfind in Fairfield represents effective assistance to find suitable work and ongoing support to help him sustain his employment.
A flexible service that responds to client needs
Nori was reliably prompt for his appointments with his employment consultant, Carol Warren. But on the occasions when he was sick and couldn’t attend, Carol kept in touch via phone.
“They were always friendly and easy to talk to…no worries for me,” says Nori.
Many participants experience challenges and setbacks on their journey to a job, says Amara. It means that Jobfind must respond with tailored support that meets the needs of the individual.
“There is always a way to keep supporting our participants to get one step closer to employment,” says Amara.
A network of other service providers in the local area also helps job seekers stay on track with their goals.
“We will actively engage other community supports such as mental health services, housing or counselling to build up our participants’ wellbeing and stability,” explains Amara.
Assisted job search
With no access to a computer in his home, Nori looked for work using the facilities available in the Jobfind Fairfield office, including newspapers and computers. With the team’s help, he would search for jobs that suited his capacity, interests, and skills.
The one-on-one support during job search activities is both a teaching and a learning opportunity, says Amara. It supports job seekers to continue to explore their interests and the roles, employment conditions, and employers that be a good fit for them.
“In a supportive environment with opportunities to ask questions, job seekers can quickly become proficient at searching for jobs and we can help them uncover new opportunities all the time,” explains Amara.
Cultural and language connection with staff
Nori’s first and fluent language is Arabic. At Fairfield, he can speak with consultants in his preferred language, and they can facilitate his conversations with English speakers.
Fairfield has a long history of welcoming refugees and migrants. Around 90 percent of Amara’s job seekers have English as a second language.
“Most of our staff speak community languages and share similar cultural backgrounds and experiences,” says Amara.
Employment Consultant, Basma Chammo, supports her participants at Fairfield by speaking four languages. She also shares a refugee experience with many of her clients.
“Empathy and understanding are very important when trying to engage our job seekers who are refugees,” says Basma.
Shared language and culture also help to engage local employers. Many small business owners in the area have a migrant background and are willing to give job seekers the opportunity of employment.
“When we can engage with employers in their first language it helps to build mutual trust and respect,” says Amara.
A team effort reduces time to employment
Apart from Carol, Nori has built relationships with all the team at Fairfield who have supported him along the way, including throughout his job search activities and introduction to employers.
Every job seeker at Fairfield will have the input from our entire team, says Amara, whose team includes employment consultants, support staff and a recruitment consultant who represents job-ready candidates to hiring local employers.
“We will access every resource we have available to support our clients to achieve their goals quickly,” says Amara.
Placement into employment fast tracks achievement in other areas, too. “Being employed can improve mental health, social connections, healthy habits and so much more.”
Ongoing support to achieve lasting employment
More than six months on, Team Fairfield continue to support Nori as he sustains his employment and wellbeing. Ongoing assistance for Nori has included government financial assistance to help him purchase work clothes and petrol to maintain his job.
“It helps a lot,” says Nori.
Seeing people thrive in long-term work is the ultimate goal, explains Amara. At Jobfind, clients are supported for a year after starting their new job.
“This ongoing support means we can help individuals and their employer overcome any hurdles if they arise.
“It can be the difference between a person keeping their job or losing it,” says Amara.
Employers appreciate the free service, says Amara. “Employers understand our ongoing support is an investment in their workforce and they are happy for us to visit the workplace or consult on their retention needs.”
Communication is key
There is no denying that open lines of communication flow at Fairfield.
On any day, employment consultants exchange labour market information, vacancies, and community news. The recruitment consultant is on the phone to dozens of employers marketing job seekers for vacancies.
Keeping individuals at the heart of what we do is critical, says Amara.
“You’ll also find us having a long conversation with a client who needs to be heard and understood,” says Amara.
Feeling welcome and understood has been important to Nori.
“I tell many of my friends, if you need a job, go to Jobfind. They are the best.” – Nori
Contact Jobfind
Jobfind’s Fairfield office is located at 13-15 Ware Street, Fairfield.
Other Jobfind disability employment services in Sydney:
- Auburn
- Bella Vista
- Cabramatta
- Carnes Hill
- Epping
- Holsworthy
- Hornsby
- Liverpool
- Merrylands
- Parramatta
- Smithfield
Jobfind also offers disability employment services in Wollongong, Melbourne and Cairns. To find an office near you, visit jobfind.com.au/locations or call 1800 113 233.
