Success Stories:
Tiffany
Tiffany Dawson had great difficulty finding secure employment after leaving school, with ongoing psychological challenges creating barriers to her success. After two years of being unemployed, Tiffany approached Outlook Employment and those two difficult years are now a distant memory.
Stress and anxiety had plagued Tiffany on most days, affecting her confidence and motivation. “Before this, I basically stayed at home all day, as I didn’t have anything to go out for,” said Tiffany.
A partnership between Outlook and McDonald’s came along at just the right time; it served to provide employment and traineeship opportunities to people with disability or disadvantage. McDonald’s’ Golden Opportunities (GO) program, enabled appropriate trainees to learn on the job, with support through a coach and mentor.
Outlook Employment identified Tiffany as a candidate for their partnership with McDonald’s and she began a casual role in an Eastlink South Bound restaurant. On-the-Job coach Frances Jayawardana was assigned to support Tiffany, enabling her to grow gradually into the role. Before long, Tiffany was moved into a part-time position, training in a variety of roles, across different aspects of foodservice.
Tiffany felt that having Frances or someone else on standby as support was crucial to her success. “A coach would come in for every shift I did, just giving me reassurance. I knew I could go out the back if I was stressed and that I could continue there because the coach was with me,” says Tiffany.
Tiffany’s hard work paid off and she grew more confident and independent. “Tiffany started in the GO Program doing 15 hours per week” says Frances, her on the job coach, “and has done so well that she now gets around 35 hours a week”.
Tiffany moved up in the ranks, running evening shifts and undertaking management training with McDonalds and has committed to a long-term career with the organisation. “From being two years out of work to going to a place where they are pleased with how I work and being happy is a massive change,” Tiffany says.