Barriers
Robert is from the Sunshine Coast and began his employment journey as a 16-year old in the hospitality industry.
Unfortunately, Robert had one huge hurdle to overcome along his way.
While working as a chef in Raratonga in the Cook Islands, Robert crashed his motorbike into a seawall. He was found and taken to hospital in a serious condition. He suffered a fractured skull and a frontal lobe haemorrhage. 48 hours later he was airlifted to Auckland, New Zealand.
At Auckland City Hospital it was also discovered through further x-rays and CT scans that he had a fractured C1 vertebrae as well as a fractured orbital socket. His family flew to New Zealand and set up a GoFundMe page to help get Robert back to Australia.
Once back in Australia Robert under-went months of rehabilitation and and was eventually released from hospital. He continued to have both neuropsychology support and physiotherapy.
Approaching OCTEC
Robert came to OCTEC DES Gympie back in 2019, seeing consultant Graeme. Up until 2022, Robert attempted employment as a chef with several hotels in the Gympie area. Unfortunately these positions were impacted by both continuing symptoms from the accident and COVID shutdowns.
Getting back to his dream job
But in December 2022, Robert was able to gain employment at Tides Waterfront Dining, Caloundra, one of the Sunshine Coast’s premier restaurants with the support of OCTEC.
With the ongoing support from Graeme, and a coordinated approach with his employer at Tides, Robert has grown to now be a confident and respected member of the staff.
He is now 39, a qualified chef and the father of a 10-year-old daughter. Robert is planning to continue chasing his dream of becoming a head chef at a top class restaurant.
In what has been a long journey, Robert has now found his ideal employment where he is respected and can use his skills in an industry he thought may have been lost to him.
If you live with a disability, illness, or injury and are looking for work, please feel free to reach out to your local employment specialists for assistance.