MatchWorks staff member announced as national employment awards finalist
19 August 2009
A Werribee grandmother of seven who spends her days helping disadvantaged people find employment has been nationally recognised for her achievements.
Cheryl Jungbauer’s proficiency at helping others find work led to her being announced as one of three national finalists for the Employment Consultant of the Year Award in NESA’s prestigious National Employment Awards for Excellence.
Cheryl, who works for the Werribee MatchWorks office, knows that 60 is the age of slowing down or even retiring for most people. “I have no plans to do either!,” she said. She is passionate about helping people who find it difficult to find work due to racial, language, physical or mental illness barriers.
That passion, which spans two decades, includes helping job seekers build self-confidence, gain new skills, understand what employers are seeking, and overcome any other hurdles. The results are remarkable - in 2008 alone, 67 disadvantaged job seekers secured employment thanks to Cheryl support and assistance.
Cheryl attributes her career achievements to her caring and empathy for her clients, as well as to her life experience. “My own difficult family background has allowed me to bring a level of understanding to those who have suffered similar disharmony in their family lives. This has enabled me to build trust and confidence with struggling job seekers,” she said.
While Cheryl is vying for the Employment Consultant of the Year award, two other NESA Awards for Excellence will be presented. The Achiever of the Year Award will recognise former job seekers who have overcome extraordinary barriers to find full-time employment, and the Champion Employer award will recognise employers who show great commitment to giving job seekers a “fair go”. Both of these categories are sponsored by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
NESA* CEO, Sally Sinclair, said “While the awards recognise a special few, all providers of Australian Government-funded employment services and their staff have achieved something remarkable by helping millions of Australians into work.
“These awards are the earliest recognition of those dedicated professionals, like Cheryl, who are working in the new Job Services Australia system. There are few programs that truly acknowledge the direct and lasting impact that employment services have on improving the social fabric of our society. The NESA Awards for Excellence do,” she said.
The winners will be announced at a gala dinner with Senator, The Hon. Mark Arbib, Minister for Employment Participation and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, in Sydney on Thursday 27 August.