Dean's story

Dean is a creative and motivated young man who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. When he finished Year 11 he wanted to find a job so he could have a secure income and housing. He signed up to the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Inclusive Pathways to Employment (IPE) pilot provided by Workskil Australia, in North Adelaide.

 Now 18 years old and after a year in the IPE pilot, he has just accepted a full-time role of Yard Hand at a local tyre business.

 "IPE has been a transformative gateway, providing me with the support and confidence to embrace new challenges in my life" (Dean).

The Inclusive Pathways to Employment (IPE) Pilot is an NCED initiative in partnership with four Transition to Work providers across the country. We are investigating what it takes for mainstream youth employment services to support young people with disability to pursue their interests, aspirations, and goals, and to be socially and economically included in their communities.

Through guidance and exploration with IPE Coordinators, Dean identified his strengths and aspirations and codeveloped a plan to achieve them. It became clear that Dean needed some support in improving his communication and routine-building skills, so he and his coach focused on enhancing these skills during the 'Jobs Club' career sessions.

 During his time in the pilot, Dean attended weekly career workshops where he would use his phone to take photos of text, translating it to audio so he could listen to the material rather than read to support his learning. “He’s highly creative and found a way to participate in group sessions, this doesn’t hold him back from completing the same tasks as everyone else” Liah says.

Dean has started teaching himself how to read through Manga books but wants to improve his literacy and is ready to get some support with reading and writing. With the support of Workskil, the first step is getting an assessment for a possible diagnosis of dyslexia, next they will look at what education options he would like to do.

"Dean's progress throughout his time in IPE has been remarkable. His consistent achievements are a testament to his ability to overcome obstacles and reach his full potential". (Dean’s employment coach).

In the year leading up to Dean getting a job, the IPE team worked with him to gain real world work experience to see what he enjoyed. Dean found an opportunity at a key cutting and shoe repair business, where he thrived in the work environment.  The feedback from the employer was fantastic, particularly his willingness to learn and follow instructions well. This positive feedback helped Dean clarify the type of work environment he wanted. Considering potential job opportunities within his existing network of friends, Dean approached his friend’s dad who owns a tyre business. That phone call led to a 2-week employment trial, then to being offered permanent full-time employment!

When existing social networks are leveraged to find employment opportunities, they can be more meaningful and sustainable for young people. Social capital (that is the personal and professional networks) of those in the life of a person with disability seeking employment, is a critical component of success in fostering employment. Many people with disability rely on the social networks of family and friends to link to employment opportunities (Southward & Kyzar, 2017; Meltzer et al., 2016; Inge et al., 2018).

Now that Dean is working and has some financial security, he is keen to move out of transitional housing, get his driver’s license and save up to study visual arts so that he can pursue his dreams of being a movie director. Workskil Transition to Work and IPE will continue to support him on his journey. When we truly get to the whole person and what they have to offer the world, we can link them into opportunities that help them to thrive.