When Asuria participant Lourence first joined our Workforce Australia Services out of our Katoomba office in November 2022, his Asuria Mentor, Melanie, asked him what type of jobs he would be interested in, to which Lourence said he would love to work outdoors.
At 55 years old, First Nations participant Lourence had been unemployed for five years and lacked some computer skills. As Lourence wasn't too familiar with navigating the internet, Melanie knew that job searching and completing online activities would be challenging, so she took the time to teach Lourence how to efficiently job search online.
"It was pretty hard for me to find a job, probably due to my age. I did go for an interview a couple of years ago, and I had more experience, but they hired the younger guy instead, which made me feel a bit down," said Lourence.
Melanie's guidance helped Lourence wrap his head around navigating websites and before long, Lourence was becoming confident enough to use the internet on his own, which would later assist him in job seeking.
"Lourence always had a great attitude towards finding a job; he just needed the confidence to see past his barriers and go for it," said Melanie.
In getting to know Lourence and his goals, he shared with Melanie that he would love a job outdoors where he could do practical work with his hands. It had been over 20 years since Lourence had previously worked in garden maintenance, which used to bring him a lot of joy.
Melanie could see Lourence's face light up when talking about his previous job, so she immediately began exploring job opportunities for fans of the outdoors.
As they searched, Melanie found a job advertisement on SEEK that she felt would suit Lourence perfectly. The role was for a Grounds Keeper at the Katoomba Christian Convention Centre, and after reading the job ad with Lourence, they applied for the position.
To make an impression on the employer, Melanie called them the following week to check that they had received Lourence's application, which allowed Melanie to discuss Lourence's interest in the role and the wonderful things he could offer.
After their phone call, Lourence was offered an interview, and together, he and Melanie began working through some mock interviews so that Lourence would feel prepared.
While Lourence was unsuccessful in getting the Grounds Keeper role, the employer still wanted to hire Lourence, so they offered him a position in the Facility Team, where he would be doing maintenance around the convention centre.
To help him prepare for his role, Asuria supplied Lourence with the appropriate work clothes and covered any training that Katoomba Christian Convention Centre required.
"Melanie got me a work shirt and some pants and boots, which was fantastic," said Lourence.
Lourence was thrilled to be offered the role and has since been working at the Katoomba Christian Convention Centre for three months. Lourence works outside for 30 hours per week, just as he had hoped. The staff at the Katoomba Christian Convention Centre have been extremely welcoming to Lourence, which Lourence says he is very thankful for.
Katoomba Christian Convention Centre Manager, Michael and Lourence,
"I feel great! I have a job at a fantastic place that allows me to be outdoors, which is exactly what I wanted to do. I have always been an outside person, and I love being outside in the rain, cold, and heat."
Everyone at Asuria felt uplifted by Lourence's story, as he is living proof that you can achieve your career goals at any age. Melanie and Asuria continue to work with Lourence through post-placement support, and we look forward to seeing him continue to have a fulfilling and enjoyable career outdoors.
If you want support finding and keeping a job, click here to learn more about Asuria's Workforce Australia Services.
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