Matthew’s dreams start to become a reality

With a dream to become a valued member of the army and military services, Matthew sought the help of CoAct Service Partner, IMPACT Community Services, to help him develop the necessary interpersonal communication skills and education to allow him to reach his end-goal.

When Matthew first sought the services and support of IMPACT, he was a 21-year-old who had completed Year 10 with limited qualifications and no employment history or work experience. Although described as a bright and colourful character, Matthew lacked confidence in himself and struggled to gain the confidence needed to successfully gain a job and live independently.

Keen to gain independence and transition into the working world, Matthew joined forces with IMPACT Community Services. The team at IMPACT attentively listened to Matthew’s story to gain an empathetic understanding of his goals and what skills he needed to succeed, this helped them create an active transition into work plan for Matthew. Sam was designated as Matthew’s employment consultant, giving him support day-to-day to help him reach his full potential and achieve his goals and ambitions.

Investing in long-term education

As Matthew showcased his interest in being actively involved in community work and further education, Matthew was enrolled into the Skills for Education and Employment program to help drive his desire to progress with  his education. Trainer for SEE programs, Lydia, described how Matthew quickly became a strong asset and beloved member of the program. With a curious mind and natural want to learn, Matthew quickly adapted to the learning environment and quickly progressed in further developing his numeracy and literature skills.

Matthew has also had the opportunity to invest in social interactions with other classmates by using his love of history to advise the class of interesting documentaries which has allowed him to engage in interesting and intuitive conversations with others.

Helping Matthew give back to the community

With a desire to become actively involved in community work, Matthew was given the opportunity to ‘give back’ to the community in a way that helped him put his newly developed social skills to work whilst giving him the joy of acting as a helping hand to his classmates and friends. Matthew, with help from his mum, a dedicated worker at Global Care in Bundaberg, kindly distributed food items to members of the class that may struggle financially.

Driving the goal of independence

IMPACT helped support Matthew in obtaining his driving license by providing him with tailored guidance and financial aid. Not only did this allow Matthew to gain independence but it facilitated him in having the ability and confidence to interact socially with others and meet new people. Sam is now working with Matthew to help him gain the confidence to drive independently now that he has overcame the daunting barrier of passing his test.

Helping to fulfil Matthew’s dream

Matthew’s newfound confidence and progress in education is now helping him to prepare to eventually fulfil his long-term goal of applying to work in the army. Supporting him with these long-term goals, Sam continually reminds Matthew that he is capable of anything, giving Matthew that extra level of support he needs. The SEE program actively helps Matthew prepare for his application to the army and military services by providing him with the resources and facilities needed to actively pursue military aptitude tests online, helping him to develop the necessary skills and attributes to fulfil his dreams. Through daily support from Sam and the team at IMPACT, Matthew continues to progress socially and professionally, continually striving to reach his goal of becoming a valued member and employee of the army and military services.

Would you like to partner with an employment services provider that listens to your needs and will give you the support you deserve as you look for work or figure out your career path?

Contact the friendly team at CoAct today to find out how we can help you on your journey.