SUCCESS STORIES
Getting to the Next Step: Ivan's Story
Watching Ivan* and Ramesh Lad chat about everything from Bruce Springsteen to the drawings Ivan creates in his spare time, one gets the feeling of seeing two friends shooting the breeze. It may come as a surprise that the first time they met was only a few months ago when Ivan was referred by the Burnaby Mental Health Team to Ramesh who is the Employment Support Coordinator at BOB.
Before coming to BOB, Ivan was unemployed and frustrated with the obstacles facing him in his job search. "I was trying to find some part-time work somewhere and I was having a difficult time because I had no references," he says, "and there are barriers: mental health, no references, looking for part-time work is more difficult than full-time work. The amount of hours that I wanted was about 15 or less a week because stamina is an issue".
When Ivan came to BOB in May 2008, Ramesh worked with him and the DTES employment agency, newCHAPTER2, to find a suitable job position.
"When I first started at BOB, the situation was totally different than all my past experiences. Going through many employment programs, in my opinion, was basically a waste of time," he says. "In my experience, a lot of these programs make people jump through hoops, have very little support (if any at all) and give people the run around. One of the agencies I went to forced people to take tests by promising them employment, only to close their file soon after."
"Immediately after talking to Ramesh, I knew he was a different and rare person than those I've met before in other employment agencies. He immediately took interest in helping me: he forwarded my resume and contacted the employer. Soon after, an interview was set up and I was able to get employment."
Ramesh's objective as an Employment Support Coordinator is to be a connector and a support resource through the application and interview process which is often challenging and difficult for job-seekers facing barriers. He is also a source of information and support for employers who hire people with barriers.
Ivan is now employed as a Warehouse Worker. Though he admits it took some time to get used to in the beginning, he is glad to be back in the workforce. His employers are understanding of his scheduling needs and have hired him on for 10 hours a week. Additionally, he is being paid more at this position than any of his previous ones, and is due for a raise when he has learned how to operate all the machinery.
But more importantly, he is glad to have this job as a "starting point". A talented sketching artist and musician, he has dreams of a career in the comic book industry. Until then, he is looking forward to buying a new guitar with some of the money he has made at this job.
Ivan and Ramesh keep in touch on a regular basis. "Ramesh is a socially aware individual," Ivan describes, "he analyses the needs of people trying to get a job and matches up the person with the employer. He helps discuss & negotiate with the employer what is suitable for the worker on the job. Ramesh is a compassionate, caring and understanding person despite his own personal challenges & difficulties. He takes the time and gets the job done to help people move forward in their lives."
"BOB is about the basic job," he continues, "It's about getting a job, earning some money and getting to the next step."