Chris is a trainee in our Melbourne hub with career goals that align with his personal interests and passions, spanning data administration, creative pursuits in art, and mental health services.
While these goals span different industries, no matter which career path Chris chooses in the future, he will arrive well-prepared with a solid base of skills and on-the-job learning gained from Jigsaw’s work-readiness program.
A structured pathway to a clear career goal
Chris came to Jigsaw from a retail background, with plenty of experience in customer service and back-of-house work after stints at Kmart and Target. His resume also includes solid volunteer experience, having held positions with the Youth Advisory Group at Headspace and various committee roles at Manningham Council.
While Chris had already gained valuable experience, he was seeking a clearer pathway into mainstream employment, one that would equip him with the practical and interpersonal skills needed to succeed in a career of his choosing.
Jigsaw’s work readiness program proved the right fit. The program helped Chris clearly identify his career goals and take structured steps toward employment, building on the experience he had already gained.
At Jigsaw, Chris has developed transferable skills through the Academy curriculum and gained hands-on experience in a real business environment. When the time is right, he will also receive tailored support with resumes and interview preparation, along with guidance to transition into mainstream employment.
Real work experience reveals Chris’s interests
Thanks to spending time in Jigsaw’s digitisation business, Chris discovered that he enjoyed administrative and data-entry tasks and was able to focus on his long-term career goal: combining the work he enjoys with services he is passionate about.
“My long-term goal is to secure an administrative role, ideally within a mental health setting such as a counselling service. Alongside that, I’d like to continue creating art and potentially grow it into a side business,” said Chris. “I’ve been looking into art courses and I’m also building a support team to help me work towards those goals.”
How Chris’ work at Jigsaw is preparing him for his future career
At Jigsaw, Chris has gained practical experience that directly supports his career aspirations. “I scan documents so councils can store their work digitally instead of physically,” he explained.
“I also manage files, preparing documents by removing staples and organising them. I then complete quality control checks to make sure everything is accurate.”
Alongside the technical tasks, Chris also enjoys learning with others. “What I enjoy most is learning interpersonal skills, completing the tasks, and socialising with the people at Jigsaw.”
These hands-on tasks do more than teach him how to use processes and technology. They have also helped Chris build confidence and develop a well-rounded set of skills that will support him in any workplace, including communication, prioritisation, and receiving workplace feedback.
By applying these skills in a real work environment, he has developed competencies that are often assumed rather than taught, giving him a strong foundation to succeed in mainstream employment.
Chris’ inclusivity message for Australian businesses
Drawing on his experiences at Jigsaw, Chris has a message for Australian businesses about creating more inclusive workplaces.
“My message to businesses is to listen, advocate for people living with disabilities, and make workplaces more inclusive. Providing flexibility, such as short breaks during the day, can help employees perform at their best. For me, having space to express creativity in the workplace is important and can boost productivity,” said Chris.
“Employers should also give employees more opportunities to share ideas and contribute to improving the workplace.”
If you would like to learn more about Jigsaw, head to our website. We work with people with disability to provide a pathway to mainstream employment, and also with businesses to increase inclusivity and provide business services. Get in touch with us today.
About Jigsaw
Jigsaw is a social enterprise that provides an innovative pathway to mainstream employment for people with disability. By embedding a comprehensive skill-based training program within our commercial document and data management business, Jigsaw enables people with disability to achieve their employment goals at their own pace. Jigsaw’s holistic approach starts from the very basics of core work skills and supports trainees all the way through to transition to open employment with ongoing support and coaching once they have transitioned. Jigsaw is located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Canberra.