employment
Communication is key
Stephen Dragert has worked in supermarkets for the past 15 years. He talks to Link writer Dave
Fagg about his work and why communication is key.
S
tephen Dragert rises from his “Even though my job is not
seat overlooking the bowling customer service, people often ask
alley, and approaches with me where products are, because I’m
a smile and a confident greeting.
He waves a friendly goodbye to his
always around.”
It’s clear that Stephen loves to
Steve Davis, an employment
consultant at Access Australia.
Access Australia is located
in Bendigo and has become
well-known for its innovative
bowling team-mates and sits down work. He found being unemployed approach. Steve is a veteran,
to discuss his working life. It’s these very difficult, so he did something having worked for 18 years in the
sociable qualities that have made him about it. disability employment sector, in
a valuable team member for the past
“I was going nuts watching Jerry
both Tasmania and Bendigo.
Steve says of Stephen: “He
five years at one of Bendigo’s largest Springer at home on TV, and so I supermarkets. used to drive into town to volunteer was one of my first clients, and I
at the pound. Cleaning out dog met him when he was under a fair
well, having worked in supermarkets kennels is better than not having a bit of stress at work. But we were
for the past 15 years. Stephen’s job,” he said. able to work together to help his
It’s an environment he knows
employer understand what he
role includes collecting trolleys and And holidays to his beloved keeping the floors, toilets and bins Gold Coast are much more feasible was struggling with, and work out
clean. But his favourite part of the job with a job. a solution. From there he’s gone
lies elsewhere.
“Even though my job is pushing
Though he reckons his work
ethic snaffled him his current
trolleys, my favourite part is the social job, Stephen is quick to
connection with customers,” he said. acknowledge the assistance of
from strength to strength.”
But Stephen said there are
difficulties.
“Sometimes in interviews you
can feel like the decision has already
been made before you got there,”
he said.
“The barriers to employment
facing people with disability can
vary according to personality. For
some, it’s anxiety, for some it’s a
physical barrier. And in some cases,
employers just need some education
about how to communicate with
their employee.”
Steve is passionate about
getting people with a disability
into the workforce: “If people are
Stephen Dragert loves working at one
of Bendigo's biggest supermarkets.
54
employment
included, then the whole community
is stronger”.
www.accessaustralia.org.au
linkonline.com.au