Simon, a trainee in our Sydney Jigsaw hub, is a passionate volunteer and an active member of the community.
His volunteer experience has spanned multiple organisations, including the State Emergency Service (SES) and Marine Rescue New South Wales, where he spent nearly three decades performing radio operations and coordinating rescue efforts, in what he describes as a ‘labour of love’.
Despite his extensive and exciting volunteer work, Simon felt the need for a change and a structured path to employment. That’s when he turned to Jigsaw, recommended by his support coordinator.
Just like in his volunteer work, Simon has thrown himself wholeheartedly into his job-readiness training at Jigsaw, working towards some exciting career aspirations.
His goal is to succeed in the music industry, ultimately in audio engineering, driven by his lifelong love for music. Simon is determined to pursue a career that will allow him to share his extensive music knowledge with others.
“I would love to get a job in a record shop or in an instrument shop. I’ve got a lot of knowledge about music, especially bands from the ’70s. I love progressive rock bands like Yes and Pink Floyd—they’ve always had a huge influence on me.
“I love keyboards, I’ve studied music and I’m learning the bass guitar at the moment. I’ve loved music all my life,” said Simon.
Although Jigsaw may not seem like the obvious path for a music career, Simon recognises the immense value in the skills he’s gaining through his digitisation work. He’s confident that these transferable skills will play a key role in his success in the music industry.
“Jigsaw is teaching me valuable skills like software, databases, inventory management, and data entry. These skills, especially in managing customer details or organising instruments, will be useful in the music industry, whether in audio engineering or at a music store. And it’s helpful to learn them in one achievable pathway,” said Simon.
Jigsaw’s training and development pathway uniquely pairs real work experience with a transferable skills curriculum delivered in both group and one-on-one sessions to foster valuable workplace discussions.
Simon sees great practicality in the transferable skills curriculum, noting that the skills he’s learning, like problem-solving, will be indispensable in his career. “I think problem-solving is important, especially when working with hardware and software. I’ve worked in the computer industry before, and I know how useful these skills can be.”
For Simon, the most valuable lesson he has gained from his time at Jigsaw is a deeper understanding of his own abilities.
“I’ve learned that I’m a fast learner. Jigsaw’s given me confidence in my ability to pick up these skills, and they’ll definitely help me as I explore career opportunities in the field,” said Simon.
Looking ahead, Simon is hopeful and motivated about the future. “I hope that for me, Jigsaw is a pathway to a rewarding job. Everyday you learn something new here. Jigsaw is helping me build hope for the future,” he shared.
With his strong work ethic, newfound skills and determination, Simon is well on his way to achieving his dream of a fulfilling role in the music industry.