GOLD COAST EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE (GCESS)

Transcription

1 GOLD COAST EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE (GCESS) NEWSLETTER JAN - MAR 2018 A connected community is a vibrant community. On the Gold Coast, there is a community guide to link people with the right service. Gold Coast Community Directory communitydirectory or ask staff for a copy Most Relevant Categories include but not limited to - Accommodation Services Advocacy Services Ageing Services Child & Youth Services Community & Information Community Clubs & Interest Groups Community Halls & Neighbourhood Centres Cultural & Migrant Services Disability Services Education Employment & Training Health Services Indigenous Services Information & Counselling Recreation & Leisure Self Help Transport Services Volunteering Welfare Assistance & Services Gold Coast Fresh Futures Market is being held on the 30th May This expo is for people living with a disability and their families to provide information to participants on Education & Employment including products, services, technology, aids & equipment, support and the NDIS Date and Time Wednesday 30th May :00am 6:00pm Location Home of the Arts 135 Bundall Road Surfers Paradise QLD 4217

2 From the desk of the MANAGER I hope this newsletter finds you well and into the swing of 2018 which is flying by very quickly and we have the Commonwealth Games almost on our doorstep. As the games get closer so do the changes to parking, street access and travel times etc. I urge you to access the Get Set for the Games website to see how this will impact you ( This web site will give you all the information about the changes throughout the Gold Coast & Brisbane including event routes, road closures, impact on M1 etc. There are fact sheets about what the impact will be for different areas and the best travel times along with all the event information. It is important that if you are working, you are aware of possible delays and the need to allow extra travel time to and from work. Please speak to your Training & Placement Officer if you need any assistance and it is a good idea to talk to your employer about any impact to your workplace. All GCESS offices will be open and we will endeavour to deliver services as usual but are not in a position to assist with transport and our access to worksites will also be impeded during this time. I hope you are all able to take advantage of this amazing event and managed to secure some tickets to some of the competition. A Message from the School Liaison Officer Melissa Williams The year has started off with a BANG. The students and schools have been very keen to get started. We have a list of 60 + students on the Gold Coast and 35 + students in the Logan area that would like to participate in a School Based Traineeship this year. As the year progresses we will assist students through career assessments, job matching and work trials, to find suitable industries for their abilities and goals. The more popular School Based Traineeships are Retail, Business, Horticulture, Auto motive and Hospitality. If you know of any business that would be interested in supporting and supervising a trainee please contact us and we can give you more information about how traineeships work. Leisa Gamblin

3 Staff A Baby Girl A huge congratulations to Natalie and Family on the arrival of their baby girl, Maisy Jae LOVE IS IN THE AIR Congratulations to Jason and Tiffany on their engagement. We wish them every success for their future together BROKEN FOOT Kristy would like to thank her team at GCESS for bringing her to and from work whilst she has a broken foot, for providing her with crutches and a wheelie walker and for all the running around the office for her... A Thank you Message

4 Michele I have relocated to the Gold Coast to live with my mother and my son Daniel who is 29 years old and has Autism Spectrum Disorder. The reason I have chosen my career in Disability Employment was because of my son s disability and shortly after his diagnoses; I was working in the school system as an Education Support and Admin Officer, and completed a Certificate III in Community Support Disability. After completing that course I decided I wanted to assist people with disabilities in their employment and life goals and applied for an admin role for a Supported Employment company in Wollongong and started with that company in early 1999 in an admin role. Since that time I have had roles as Training and Placement Officer and Employment Consultant for Job Active, DES and Occupational Rehabilitation services and have gained experience working with adults with disabilities, injury and health conditions and have been advocating for and supporting these individuals to achieve their goals both professionally and personally since that time. My commitment to improving the life options for people with disabilities is something that is very close to my heart. I have gained ongoing and sustainable outcomes for many people with disabilities throughout my career and often see these same people in the community and in their places of employment that are enjoying all the benefits of a full and inclusive lifestyle in the community. I am looking forward to working with Melissa and her team at GCESS and have felt very welcome and am already enjoying the opportunities that I have been given in supporting a young lady at Coles Supermarket in Ormeau who is completing a school based traineeship with the assistance of GCESS. I am very keen to demonstrate my skills in marketing and my ability to establish effective relationships in the execution of my duties for this company for the benefit of all stakeholders including the staff I work with, jobseekers, families, allied health professionals, tertiary education services, and Mental Health services. My passion is empowering people to regain their self-agency. Employment is one of the greatest leverages as it provides an opportunity to give value, to earn a living and to have meaningful contact with society. I have worked in employment services since 2009, DES, JA and Pre-Employment training. Prior to that I operated freelance in global and national companies as an executive supervisor, business coach and trainer. I am happily married to Chris Lavery. We have four grandchildren (all in Melbourne), 2 sons and the best daughters-in-law one could hope for. I moved to the Gold Coast to bring my elderly parents under my roof in My father passed away in October last year and my Mum is in palliative care in my home. My family includes multiple cats and dogs. I look forward to helping GCESS clients increase their choices and achievements and love being part of a productive team. Natascha

5 GCESS CLIENT XMAS PARTY 2017 LABRADOR CHARIS SEAFOOD LOGAN BOWLING

6 Rohan Rohan Rohan Rowan had been looking for work for over a year. His goal was to find employment in the warehousing industry. With the assistance of his Training & Placement Officer Tim, he secured a position with Spandex, a company who works with leading brands to offer Graphic Solutions. Rohan is now working full time and loving it. He has passed probation with flying colours and his Manager has nothing but positive things to say about his work performance. Rowan is learning more and more about the warehousing industry and loves driving the forklift, creating new orders and using the in house labelling system. Such a well deserved outcome for both Ryan and Spandex. - TIM Ryan Ryan Ryan Ryan is 25 years old and was interested in obtaining a job in hospitality, last year an opportunity for Ryan to complete a Certificate II in Baking at the 6729 Bakery was found and Ryan took full advantage. With the support of his trainer, Ryan completed his theory components and excelled in the kitchen. Ryan received his Cert II in Baking in December and has developed skills and confidence. After the Christmas break Ryan and David (GCESS Training & Placement Officer) went in search of a job in a bakery or hospitality. Ryan has recently started working at Goldstein s Bakery and the employer reports that he is doing a great job. Even better news is that after Ryan settles into his new job Goldstein s have said that they will consider offering Ryan an apprenticeship Ryan had not worked in a long time but perseverance and a little hard work have finally paid off! We know that Ryan has a big future! - DAVID

7 Client Meeting Wednesday 21st March pm Southport Office Lets Talk about your service MEET THE MANAGER MEET THE STAFF YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Come along and let us know your thoughts on the service you are receiving and give us your thoughts on how we could improve our services to you, or bring any questions you may have and we will endeavour to ensure you get all the information you need to understand your service or your Centrelink requirements. RSVP to Debbie on Afternoon tea provided

8 O U R S T A F F MANAGER MELISSA WILLIAMS TRAINING & PLACEMENT OFFICERS PHILLIP BODYCOTT JASON BOURCHIER MICHELE CARSE SOUTHPORT 4/127 Nerang St (Cnr Cougal St) Southport QLD 4215 MIAMI 59 Paradise Auenue (Cnr Ozone Pde) Miami QLD 4220 ARUNDEL 5 Byth Street Arundel QLD 4216 COOLANGATTA 306A Coolangatta Place 87 Griffith St (Cnr. Warner St) Coolangatta QLD 4225 PHONE : Gold Coast Employment Support Service Inc (GCESS) is a not for profit employment service that assists people with disabilities/barriers to gain and retain award based employment in open community based settings. Since GCESS was first incorporated in 1992 we have grown steadily and our twenty staff members now assist an average of one hundred and sixty seven service recipients. GREG DAILHOU REBECCA DIXON MITCH ENSBEY HAYDEN FOOTE TIM GORNALL MONIQUE JENNINGS NATASCHA LAVERY DAVID LINDSAY SHIDO NOAI GWEN O LEARY ROBYN ROBERTSON JODIE RUSSELL SUZANNE STANLEY ASHLEY SZYMANSKI SCHOOL LIAISON OFFICERS LEISA GAMBLIN BIANCA WILBY INTAKE OFFICER KRISTY JAMES ADMINISTRATION DEBORAH EVERSHED GCESS Inc. is committed to providing quality employment support and training for people with disabilities/barriers who aspire to obtain and maintain award based employment