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Work provides a fresh start for Kimberley
Until recently, Kimberley Faithful was a stay at home father who had been out of the workforce for 10 years. When Kimberley was no longer eligible to receive Principal Carer payments, he knew he needed to get a job to help support his family.
He was anxious about the prospect of finding a job and lacked confidence about the type of skills he could offer an employer.
‘With my high blood pressure and eczema I was really unsure about what type of work I would be able to do,’ Kimberley said. ‘I still had to look after the kids too so I thought I had no chance of finding a job that would be flexible enough to let me do that.’
Kimberley had an assessment to determine his work capacity and was referred to CRS Australia in Woden, ACT.
CRS Australia helped Kimberley get his career on track. The team of qualified health professionals helped him identify what type of work he was fit to do. They also spoke with his doctor to develop an employment plan with an appropriate vocational direction.
When Kimberley was ready to look for work, CRS Australia helped him update his resume and purchased some new work clothes for him.
‘I’m much healthier and happier now. I couldn’t have done it without the help from CRS Australia and the team at Supabarn. All I needed was someone to believe in me and give me a go.’Kimberley, supermarket fresh produce worker
Kimberley had previous work experience as a store packer. So that he could test his work capacity and gain some recent experience, an on-the-job training placement was arranged at Supabarn in Wanniassa. The store’s convenient location and ability to offer flexible working hours created a great opportunity for Kimberley to make the transition back to work.
Supabarn had provided training and employment opportunities to two other job seekers from CRS Australia, so they were enthusiastic about giving Kimberley a go.
‘We’ve found the job seekers that come to us from CRS Australia have a strong work ethic, are reliable and are passionate about working in retail,’ said Michael Chapman, Supabarn Store Manager.
After just three weeks training Kimberley was offered a job as a retail assistant.
‘It wasn’t long before we realised Kimberley would be a real asset to the team here,’ said Michael. ‘He’s a great bloke, good at his job and the customers and staff love having him around.’
Kimberley’s income and flexible working hours mean he can continue to take care of his family and his health condition has improved since he started working.
‘I’m much healthier and happier now. I couldn’t have done it without the help from CRS Australia and the team at Supabarn,’ said Kimberley. ‘All I needed was someone to believe in me and give me a go.’