All Stories

June 18 2023

Darren’s Story

When a major shoulder injury sidelined Darren for nearly two years, he was not sure exactly how and where he would return to the workforce.

Returning to work as a qualified electrician was no longer possible and he needed a new direction – but finding employment in a new field was not straightforward.

“It is harder to find employment with a lot of employers because obviously they don’t want to take on the responsibility of injuries,” he says, “which is why I ended up approaching Forrest Personnel.”

When he began working with the Forrest Personnel team in Kwinana, he didn’t have a particular job in mind. It was a matter of identifying what transferable skills he had and highlighting those to potential employers.

“Forrest Personnel assisted me through the process of building a resume, running mock interviews and then providing an overview of each company before I went to an interview. This helped with the whole process of going
forward and building the confidence to get into a new field. They were very professional, and they were proactive, it was quite a good process really,” he says.

A great outcome resulted in Darren finding work in two new fields. He splits his time between two employers providing support to people living with disability at Focus Support Services and working on the service desk at IT company Capgemini. He’s been employed for nearly a year now.

“They were different types of work but at the end of the day the work has been very fulfilling,” he says. “I would really recommend Forrest Personnel to anyone seeking employment – they are a really good, proactive bunch of people.”

Vinnies participant, manager, EC closeup 280622

June 18 2023

Brent’s Story

It was the end of an era at Vinnies Busselton earlier this year when Brent retired after almost 25 years working at the store. He was one of the store’s longest-serving employees, and one of Forrest Personnel’s long-term participants.

Brent lives with intellectual disability, so showing up to work as the store cleaner twice a week brought stability and friendship, not to mention a sense of purpose.

“You’ve got to have something to do, otherwise it’s no good if you’re out on the street and unemployed,” he says. “If it wasn’t for Vinnies, I’d be all over the place – they kept me good. We enjoyed each other’s company and it helps.”

For store manager Trish, Brent was an invaluable team member.

“If you asked him to do something, even if it was outside his comfort zone, he would do it,” she says. “Having Brent here provided reliability for me, the staff and the volunteers.

“The support that Forrest Personnel gave to Brent and to us was great – they made sure he was doing okay and they kept in contact with us. It’s been good all round that Forrest Personnel has kept this arrangement going.”

For Forrest Personnel Employment Consultant Chris, Brent’s retirement was bittersweet. Chris has been working with Brent and seeing him every week for the past 10 years.

“I was connected with him when I started with Forrest Personnel – so we have had a long-term relationship,” Chris says. “Brent was very dedicated to his work, he was someone you could rely on to do his best and to get on with everyone he worked with.

“He loved being able to work – a few years back he held three different jobs, but the time has come, and I am really glad that he will be able to just enjoy his retirement from now on.”

Eric is a Disability Employment Services Participant who found a job at the Quest Hotel in Fremantle

May 16 2023

Eric’s Story

Working in a hotel was not where Eric expected to find himself. After years of working as a courier driver, he was more at home behind the wheel.

But in May 2021 he experienced a stroke, meaning he was required to give up his driver’s license. It was a big blow for Eric; not only did he have to recover his health but he also had to find new means of earning an income.
Late last year Centrelink referred him to the Forrest Personnel’s Disability Employment Service team in Rockingham, and it wasn’t too long before he was working again.

Eric is now working at the Quest Fremantle hotel, in a role that includes everything from housekeeping to maintenance. He works part-time – four hours a day, five days a week.

“I have never done this before, it’s a bit of a challenge for me – it’s good,” he says. “It was hard when I lost my license…but Forrest Personnel were really helpful, they really helped me to get back into the workforce.”

Eric’s manager Heide Lim Alania speaks very highly of Eric. “He is a real multitasker – he is amazing.
We would like to have him here all the time!” she says.“Everybody loves him – he is a good team member to have on board.”

May 15 2023

Lauren’s Story

Lauren came to Forrest Personnel many years ago to get support finding a job.

Our support resulted in Lauren working for Alpine Laundry for 12 years. However, when the company updated components of the laundry machinery which automated some of the tasks, Lauren was left without a job.

We worked with Lauren again to support her job-hunting efforts and she worked for a short period with McDonalds. Earlier this year, she had the opportunity to become employed once again with Alpine Laundry when a suitable position came up. Forrest Personnel has a very positive relationship with Alpine Laundry and through our collaborative efforts and as Lauren was already well known and highly regarded by the Manager of the company, they were very happy to re-employ her.

Lauren’s job keeps her busy feeding wet sheets into a machine which then come out the other end completely dry and folded. She also takes turns with other employees replacing the huge linen cages with more wet sheets when required.
Working two days a week on the afternoon shift from 2-8pm is perfect for Lauren and she says she loves her job! “I’m really happy to be working with a supportive team back at Alpine Laundry,” she says.

March 29 2023

Patrick’s Story

Meet Patrick, our Office Support for our NDIS team.

Initially, Patrick came to Forrest Personnel as a work placement through school. At that time, he really enjoyed working in the disability sector and being in an environment that helps those living with disability find a job.

At the time, he also worked in his parent’s wrecking yard business – helping his mum answer phone calls, filing, interacting with customers, and doing general administration work.

Having these skills helps Patrick in his current role with our NDIS team at Forrest Personnel and he says he’s really happy to be now working in an organisation that supports people with disability find work.

“I’ve always wanted to help other people living with disability to find work as I understand exactly what it’s like with a disability, so I understand what their challenges are. I remember sending my resume off to seven different businesses in one day and getting nowhere, it’s quite disheartening,” he says.

Patrick has been working in the NDIS team for several months, working five days a week from 9am-1.30pm each day.

When asked what he loves about his job, Patrick says “having a job makes my home life and my mental health more positive than it was before, as well as financially … I feel like I’m out busy doing something and I’m learning skills at the same time. I’m now part of the working community and I don’t feel like I’m at a disadvantage anymore … I feel included in society.”

Forrest Personnel is also delighted to be supporting Patrick in undertaking his Certificate III in Business Administration.