Cheltenham & OC Connections
Working together
It can get a little crowded in the Cheltenham General Office on Tuesdays and we wouldn't have it any other way. Our friends from OC Connections are helping us with general duties while gaining valuable work experience. As a secondary school we value and appreciate the opportunities our year 10 and VCAL students are offered in our community and this is a rewarding way in which we can give back. The following article was written to highlight the importance of community support available at OC Connections and the pathways for their school leavers.
Towards Employment – Work Experience Cheltenham Secondary College
OC Connections’ School Leavers Employment Support (SLES) pathway – Towards Employment - combines work and life skills to help with the transition from school into employment for people with disability. A big part of the program incorporates work experience where participants get to go out into the community and learn new skills and explore their interests in a variety of roles. The ability for them to take part in these opportunities relies on the support from employees.
Earlier in 2021, Cheltenham Secondary School offered to provide a work experience stint with the cohort. School administrator, Jan Kuzmicky, says the school is proud to assist in providing work experience opportunities for the pathway. “Knowing the importance of work experience for our own students, we were eager to provide the same opportunities for the Towards Employment participants from OC Connections.”
The team assists with administration tasks onsite, including laminating, cutting, filing and sorting books at the school library every Tuesday and have been well received by staff. One of the teachers approached the group during one of their work days to thank them for laminating her worksheets – a tasks she dreads doing. It provided the group with a sense of pride and confidence in their work.
New Towards Employment recruit, Harrison, commenced his first day in the pathway at the school. “I was so excited to start, I woke up early,” he said. “I’ve been at home for a lot of COVID and I am happy to be out getting new skills.”
The opportunity to undertake work experience in an environment like this is not lost on Towards Employment Facilitator, Hannah Isles. “It can be daunting for employees to open their doors to young people with disability for work experience. They may be unsure of the support they need to provide,” she says. “However, we are there to provide the support both employer and participant require. All it takes is an opportunity and we find that not only do our participants benefit from the skill building, but the employer’s learn how to communicate, work alongside, and provide opportunities for people with disability. It’s a win-win situation.”
Hannah and the Towards Employment team are grateful for the experience that Cheltenham Secondary College have provided the participants in the pathway. “This opportunity is valuable to the experience of our participants. It is allows them to build their confidence in a new environment and learn to interact and engage with new people,” she says.
Harry, Harrison, Will & David had their own photo shoot for their school publication
