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The sky is the limit
A butcher by trade, Barry, 57, injured his back in 1980 while working as a labourer. After undergoing spinal fusion surgery, Barry tried to cope with his injury on his own but was unable to find work that met his needs. He lost confidence in himself and began to suffer depression.
‘It didn’t feel good to not be able to secure a long-term job,’ Barry says of his job search experience.
Centrelink referred Barry to CRS Australia’s Wollongong office where he worked closely with his rehabilitation consultant, Matt, to assess his barriers, determine a suitable work goal and training requirements.
‘I found Barry to be a real people person’, Matt says. ‘A career in customer service or aged care was ideal for him’.
‘I love my job. The sky is the limit with what I can do.’
Matt provided Barry with manual handling training to help him manage his back injury and counselling to assist him to overcome his depression.
Having settled on a suitable employment goal, Barry was supported by CRS Australia to enrol into a Certificate III in Aged Care at the local Shellharbour TAFE.
While studying full-time Barry also continued vocational exploration with Liz, an Employment Services Consultant with CRS Australia.
‘I provided employment assistance to Barry, which resulted in a four week work training placement. He was later offered a job. It was a great outcome,’ says Liz.
‘I love my job. The sky’s the limit with what I can do,’ Barry said. ‘I wish that I’d done it when I was younger’.
Barry has now been employed by Illawarra Diggers Aged and Community Care Residence for 15 months and completed his Assistant Nursing Traineeship in June 2006.
Therese Hannan, Residence Manager at Illawarra Diggers says ‘Barry is an asset to the nursing hostel. He is highly motivated and compassionate’.
More questions?
- Contact us to find out more about CRS Australia.
