AccessAbility Day gives 20 year old Kate the opportunity to be a Recruiter

20 year old Kate found it hard to get into the workforce after leaving school. Born with congenital joint problems, there were certain jobs that weren’t possible for her.

“Because of my disability, there are certain things I couldn’t do,” Kate said.

““I couldn’t be on my feet for a whole day. There are certain things I can’t do with my arms; I couldn’t take money.”

Kate said as she’s grown up, she has learned to live with her disability.

“I’ve grown up with it, I live with it, but, as I’ve gotten older, there’s more challenges.”

AccessAbility Day gave Kate the opportunity to work alongside the Compass Group Recruitment team for a day. Compass Group is a hospitality service provider with over 10,000 people delivering vital support services every day. At Compass, there are a number of initiatives in place to strengthen their commitment to having a diverse and inclusive workplace. In 2017 this commitment saw Compass Group awarded National Disability Employer of the Year.

Kate said she jumped at the opportunity to work in the Compass Group head office.

“I wanted to dip my toe into this sort of industry and see if it was something I wanted to do. This opportunity allowed me to see if this kind of work is something I would like to commit to.”

Compass Group Recruitment Advisor Luke Butler showed Kate the general day to day of a HR professional.

“Kate got to see an insight into the world of a recruiter. Recruitment is so much more than conducting interviews: Kate got to see us generate contracts, onboard new employees, hold group information sessions and organise pre-employment medical screenings – all in one day’s work!”

Through AccessAbility Day Luke was able to see Kate’s unique strengths and abilities.

“Kate demonstrated high levels of attention to detail and asked insightful questions. She was confident and demonstrated great initiate. It was quite apparent that she wanted to get the most out of AccessAbility day. She certainly has the right drive and the right attitude’.

Working in recruitment, Luke understands the importance of gaining experience in your desired industry.

“The job market is tight for everyone, but if you can get any type of experience you’re definitely taking a step in the right direction. We’re always looking for transferrable skill sets and good attitudes in employees for Compass Group.”

Compass Group helped provide work experience for six MAX customers with disability around the country during AccessAbility week.

Kate said the day provided the insight she needed to cement her career path.

“Compass Group deal with so many different things that make it an interesting place to work. It’s like all different sorts of people coming together to be a part of something that’s bigger than them,” she said.

AccessAbility Day is an Australian Government initiative that allows employers to connect to people with disability to see their potential in the workplace. MAX Solutions provided over 60 people with disability the opportunity to work in a diverse workplace over the week 26-30th November 2018, with the hope of creating real and meaningful employment opportunities. For more information visit jobacess.gov.au 

Image caption: 20 year old Kate in Compass Group head office with Recruitment Advisor Sancha Keric