The working life
One of life's milestones is being offered your first paid job. For Robert Millers this milestone comes with the added accolade of being the first person recieving post school services to be offered full time work at Help Enterprises landscape nursery.
Help Enterprises offers post school services to young people with a disability who are making the transition from school to work.
Program coordinator George Palos says the program supports young people like Robert Millers to adjust to the real world and develop skills for life and the workforce.
"It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as they are moving forward with their lives," George says.
"Robert has been with us since 2005 and has matured and developed in that time. He is an excellent worker, self motivated and gets along with everyone. We felt confident to offer him a position."
Help Enterprises post school support is a balanced program of indoor and outdoor activities. In small groups young people learn horticulture and hospitality skills, literacy, numeracy, music, computers, art and yoga. George says there is an emphasis on teamwork. "Without a team ethic they won't achieve the outcomes we're after," he says.
Robert's father Ray says the change in Robert has been dramatic since he started at Help Enterprises. "He was active at school but when he left he became a bit of a couch potato," Ray says. "Now he's taken to the outdoor life and his health and well being has really improved."
Funding for a post school services package is provided by Disability Services Queensland and can be used to access post school support from a number of providers around the state.