Karleen’s story: Bridge To Work

Bridge to Work is a unique, innovative program run by CoAct in partnership with community housing provider, Bridge Housing. Through her participation in the Bridge to Work program, Bridge Housing resident Karleen has been supported into a life-changing job opportunity with Tribal Warrior Cruises. Watch her story.

Video Trasnscript:

John: The Bridge to Work program is a very fundamental program for Bridge Housing. Firstly, it’s a great partnership between us and CoAct. It provides a pathway for people who have really been disadvantaged within the workforce.

Gavin: The candidates are engaged willingly within the program. We’re just there to support the clients in their own unique direction, and we’re able to sit beside the candidates rather than in opposition across a table. The power dynamic has changed; we’re equal players on the field, and they are in fact driving the bus. We are just helping them navigate the landscape and make sure we get a tailored employment fit for themselves moving forward.

Gavin: So when Karleen came to us at Bridge to Work, she was looking for some employment support that would allow her to work within her community and stay in her local area.

Karleen: I first came in contact with Gavin after reading a flyer at the employment agency. Because I’m a Bridge tenant, I just thought it was in my best interest to come and join the Employment Program. Returning back to the workforce as an older Australian, whether I like it or not, yeah, it was quite daunting. But it came about with a bit of perseverance.

Karleen: The difference between Bridge and the employment agency was that, you know, I started and kind of, and that was it. But when I met Gavin, we went and spoke together, and I had that nice quality time to sit there without the pressure of an appointment to be in 10 minutes and then gone. And I liked the fact that you followed up with phone calls to make sure that I was settling in right and if I needed any extra mentoring for anything, which I found was really good because it did, it really helped me, it made me very confident.

Gavin: A key factor moving forward is that the candidate believes we’re on their side and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to support them into employment.

Shane: We saw a spark and a passion for what she does there. We’re a social enterprise, so we are a community trying to showcase our strengths. Her weaving and some of her artwork with the young ones is just complementary to what the whole program is about.

Sarah: I think one of the key successes of the program has been the way that Gavin and the employment support coordination have been embedded at Bridge Housing.

Shane: For most people, thinking about housing is just where you live. There’s no connection to it; it’s just you’re going to pay rent there, look after the house, and pay rent, that’s it. There’s no other relationship. But if you’ve got a relationship where you’re connected to the community, you’ve got a job, and as part of it, where there’s a wraparound service, that just makes sense.

Sarah: We repeatedly learn from our tenant surveys and tenant engagement that people want to be doing something in their lives. We also know the economic benefits of people joining the labor force are huge for our tenants, certainly those who are often on very low incomes. Beyond that, people can actually be involved with meaningful activity and make a real difference in their lives, and that’s what we want to support.

Sarah: I think part of the success of the program is the candidate-centric model and how really we work alongside tenants to find things that they might be able to do rather than have to do. We’re very much focused on sustaining tenancies for tenants but also looking beyond the tenancy to people’s well-being.

Karleen: It was a big difference being listened to, to exactly what you want to do to get back into the workforce, rather than being told, now you’ve got to go to this, because of the pressure.

John: Work is important to people’s identity and workplaces are very significant networks. They also provide people a sense of their own self-worth.

Shane: This is all connected. This model is a smart model and it reaches back into how well people are. So we love it.

Gavin: It’s been really amazing to see some of the flow-on effects of people finding meaningful employment, their ability to give back to the community in more meaningful ways, and that’s a really fantastic result that we’ve been able to achieve just by sitting with the candidates and asking them what they really want to do and how we can support them to get there.

Karleen: The model works fantastic. Now, I’m 30 hours a week and I’m happy with that.

Shane: Karleen is the first person, and I hope she’s not the last person that we’ve had from Bridge to Work. And I guess that’s my next question: how do we do this again with other people in our community with Bridge to Work?