Kamran - Work experience turns into paid employment When Kamran learnt that his work experience had turned into paid employment, he was relieved and happy, in fact he was over the moon! Over the past few months, he’s been learning many different aspects of the business at Punchys Gym, including administration, personal training and customer service. He enjoys being sporty and getting sweaty, so this is the perfect role for Kamran.During Hurstville’s NOVA Transition program, Kamran learned many…

Daniel - Reliability number one asset How did Daniel get a Retail Traineeship?According to Daniel, 'I just did the work experience and they liked me so much they actually offered me a job.'It was a little more complicated than that. Daniel attended NOVA’ s Transition program designed to prepare school leavers with a disability for employment. It's normally, a two-year program full of work experience, industry visits, and training about employer expectations, but Daniel found work…

Chris - Managers’ Right-hand Man While he was at NOVA Transition Richmond, Chris was known as ‘everyone’s friend’. He was the guy that would settle disputes in the training room and the guy whose family made cakes for special events so Chris could proudly hand them around.And now he is the guy – in fact, the right-hand man for the manager at his local Coles supermarket. Employed in April 2016 as a service assistant Chris currently works 15…

Kallina - From quiet to working in communication! As part of NOVA Transition St Marys, Kallina completed work-experience placements in retail, computers and administration. She enjoyed being part of a team but these roles didn’t quite suit her.When Kallina first started with NOVA in 2015, she was very shy and didn’t speak in public. However, by her second year in the program, her confidence and communication had improved so much that she started looking for work…

Alex - Growing confident and independent At school, Alex did work experience at an Australian Disability Enterprise. But her Grandmother, Rosa, felt that Alex could work in open employment. She brought Alex to meet Penrith NOVA Transition and, two years on, Alex has a job with Folklore Patchwork.As a retail assistant, Alex helps with cleaning, folding fabrics, and sorting them into colour groups. She also helps customers attending sewing classes to find the right material or thread.Being…

Jouvah - Determination and hard work pays off Jouvah was keen to find a paid job when he started at St Marys NOVA Transition. Although he was very quiet – he describes himself as shy, and used to sweat when interacting with others – he dreamed of working in retail.Jouvah faced a big hurdle: he struggled with time management and was routinely late to Transition and work experience placements. Being on time is essential in retail work. So,…