A Bright Career Post School, with help from are-able Mildura

Like many people, Mildura man Steven Sziladi felt that an education pathway wasn’t the right fit for him, so when he turned 18, he was faced with a dilemma: how would he find out what sort of work he wanted to do and find the right job?  

Steven’s school careers coordinator arranged for Steven to meet with Jessica Peters, an Employment Consultant at are-able Mildura. Jess and Steven worked together to identify career pathways and potential jobs. Jess approached potential employers on Steven’s behalf and arranged interviews.  

Knowing Steven was suited for a manually based role, Jess approached AndPak, a regional manufacturer of expanded polystyrene products. AndPak Operations Team Manager Alex Purchase set up an interview for a role as a casual packer and machine operator. Steven was interviewed and hired on the same day.  

“I’ve been working with AndPak for around five years,” said Jess. “They’re a really supportive organisation. They understand disability employment and are happy to modify roles so that local jobseekers have an opportunity to gain employment.”  

Steven quickly found his feet at AndPak, learning production line skills and elements of the recycling process. In August of 2020, AndPak offered Steven full time work.  

Alex is pleased that Steven is a permanent part of the AndPak team. 

“Steve came to us via Jess at are-able. Steven was always keen to learn and ready to lend a hand. Steven is a very hard worker, which made it easy for Andpak to offer him a permanent position” Alex said.  

Jess keeps in regular contact with both Steven and Alex, ensuring everything is running smoothly and helping Steven navigate any challenges. The support was an important part of the process for Steven. Are-able Mildura offers support and disability employment services for others, like Steven, looking to make that next step.   

“Are-able kept in contact a lot with me and never stopped looking for the right job. AndPak accepted me straight away into the team and made me feel welcome,” he said.  

Steven is now in open employment, which means he will no longer require the support of are-able to maintain his employment. Jess is pleased the role has proved a good match for both AndPak and Steven.  

“I am so impressed with Steven! He knew that he wanted to build a career for himself and has continuously exceeded his benchmarks. He worked hard, always on time and available for his shifts, keen to do what was needed to succeed. I’m so happy he’s been promoted to full time,” she said.  

As well as the confidence boost, Steven is enjoying the security which comes with full-time work. 

“I’m impressed with myself for getting promoted to a full-time job this early in life! The role with AndPak has allowed me to be more independent and I’m able to financially support my family thanks to this job,” said Steven.  

If you think are-able Mildura could help you find employment contact us.