Tyler Cook’s pursuit of his dream job has paid off in more ways than just a pay packet.
Six years into his role as retail assistant at Coles, Tyler continues to challenge himself to learn new skills, and enjoys connecting with customers from his local community.
“The thing I like the most, it’s the cash registers. I like working with the customers, they’re kind,” said Tyler.
The MatchWorks team first met Tyler when he was 19 years old. He was highly motivated to find work, visiting local businesses to introduce himself. He had a clear picture of what he wanted from MatchWorks as his Disability Employment Services (DES) provider, with a job at his local Coles in Lara at the top of his wish list.
Tyler’s mother Sharon supported his career goals but was also acutely aware of the barriers that people living with disability can experience in their search for meaningful work.
“When he was younger, he always wanted to work at Coles. And we used to say to him, ‘oh maybe one day mate, there’s plenty of other things out there to do’. We never thought that he would actually get a chance to do it,” she said.
MatchWorks employment engagement partner Joanne Falcone worked closely with Coles, assisting with access to government funding, and providing recruitment and onboarding support. Tyler was offered a position at Coles Lara, where he continues to be a valued team member.
“He has really come into his own, which is amazing, and he is a completely different person than I met all those years ago…there has been a huge turnaround in his demeanour,” Joanne said.
“Tyler has year on year demonstrated that he’s productive, that he’s a value to the business, that customers enjoy seeing him.”
MatchWorks post placement support officer Katrina Gafa provides ongoing assistance to Tyler and to the team at Coles to support his ongoing success.
“He provides the best customer service. Regular customers stop and see how Tyler has been or ask for help. If he is unable to assist, he asks them to come with him and finds someone
who can help,” said Katrina.
“Tyler is constantly wanting to challenge himself and be delegated new tasks to keep learning at work. He has said he would like to work towards becoming an assistant department manager.”
Learn more about MatchWorks Disability Employment Services at matchworks.com.au
