Asuria Disability Employment Services Mentor Di McIntyre from the Nepean NSW region is unique in her role because, like many of our participants, her journey has not been easy.
Living a parallel life to many of her Disability Employment Services (DES) clients, Di inspires and supports them by sharing parts of her story, reminding job seekers that their experiences are valid, and that they're not alone.
As the daughter of a British Navy Member, Di spent her youth packing and then unpacking as her family travelled between the United Kingdom, America, Singapore, and Europe. It wasn't easy for a young Di to move from town to town, and at 16, Di dropped out of school.
Although scary, leaving school gave Di invaluable resilience, relationship-building skills, and an ability to relate to people from various walks of life. Di now uses this time in her youth to inspire and motivate job seekers to prioritise their education and training.
Alongside her battles as a teenager, Di went through a lot in her adult life, including an unhealthy relationship that left her feeling unsafe.
However, it's Di's health concerns that have made her a truly trustworthy and relatable mentor.
Di has suffered two heart attacks and a devastating stroke in the last few years, resulting in her needing to learn to walk and talk again. Di continues living with an autoimmune disease, lupus and arthritis and is required to take 38 medications daily.
Despite all this, she is one of Asuria's highest-performing Mentors, as she refuses to let her health get in the way of supporting her participants. Di is always working hard to find the right employer for each participant, and she travels upwards of 60 km to reach her sites, even going as far as giving up weekends to ensure her clients are ready for work on Monday.
Di manages both Katoomba and Richmond sites in NSW, where she is helping to improve the lives of those in the community by working to break the generational unemployment and high percentage of unemployed youth in the region.
Asuria was incredibly proud to see Di’s efforts recognised, as she was a finalist at this year's National Employment Services Association (NESA) Award for Excellence.
Di was nominated for the Employment Consultant of the Year category for her excellence in helping disadvantaged Australians to achieve employment inclusion.
Asuria is incredibly lucky to have Di, and her participants are forever grateful for the wisdom and confidence that Di instilled in them. The employers' Di works with have nothing but praise for her ability to find the perfect candidate, and her fellow Asuria teammates love the enthusiasm and knowledge she brings to the team.
We can't wait to see Di continuing to create change for her clients, and we look forward to seeing her flourish as her career develops.
If you have an injury or mental health condition and are looking for someone like Di to help you find meaningful employment, check out our Disability Employment Services here.
If you're an employer looking for job-ready candidates, explore our employers' page here.