Angela Rose
Resume
SGSCC disAbility Manager
Angela is responsible for the overall management of the disability services at SGSCC.
Angela's story: From Volunteer to Support Worker to Manager
Staff and volunteers at SGSCC disAbility come to us with a wide range of skills and backgrounds and through various channels. What sets them apart is their passion for supporting and empowering people with a disability to make choices and live the lives they want. Here is a story of one-
Angela had just moved to Sydney from New Zealand, and didn’t know anyone or have a job organised.
As a trained Primary School Teacher from New Zealand, Angela had a wealth of skills and kindness but getting a job in the Australian educations system is full of red tape so she needed to look elsewhere.
After boarding a train into the city to seek work at an agency she noticed a young man on the train speaking to other passengers. These people were ignoring him but being a confident and generous person Angela elected to sit near him and engage in conversation.
It became apparent quite quickly that this young man had a disability; he was happy and talkative, and she enjoyed speaking with him.
He mentioned he was going to his college where he did literacy and numeracy and lots of learning and said I should come there too. He gave me some names to ask for and then hopped off at Jannali.
After a day of job seeking by the end of the day, Angela was tired and had completely forgotten about meeting the young man on the train.
A few days later Angela saw the young man sitting on the seat, waiting for a train to arrive. This time he approached her, and said “I remember you. Did you come to my college yet?” Angela was embarrassed to answer “No” He reminded her of the two names of people she needed to ask for when she rang there, and he said “You really should come to my college”.
Again, the job hunt, the employment agency meetings, and exploring a new city all took over, and she didn’t ring or approach the college.
About a week later on the train again, and she heard a male voice saying “Hey, I know you! You haven’t been to my college yet”. Turning around and seeing the same young man on the train she thought this is the third time – maybe it’s meant to be and she rang SGSCC disAbility to offer her services as a Volunteer while she looked for paid employment.
Angela arrived the next morning feeling a bit anxious, but mostly excited about meeting the clients and seeing what the college was all about.
After a few days volunteering, she found that it really was something that she loved to do. The staff and clients very welcoming, and really receptive to any amount of support she was able to give.
The warm, welcoming environment of SGSCC disAbility was a great fit for Angela, and gave her an opportunity to learn new skills, as well as share some of her existing skills in the program.
After a short time of working as a volunteer, she was asked to consider applying for paid work. She jumped at the chance to start getting paid for a role that she loved doing, and that had many opportunities to grow and learn. The best possible outcome!
From volunteer to casual to part time then fulltime Support Worker Angela was given the opportunity to learn from other staff, and after some time, given the opportunity to complete a traineeship to gain Certificate IV in Disability.
These chance meetings with the young man on the train and in the community has, in the space of 10 years, led to a change in career path, personal and professional development and the advancement to the position of Assistant Manager, and then Manager.
“Every day, I am thankful that I took the time to speak to a person that I didn’t know, that I approached the College and that I opened up my mind to the idea of volunteering in an industry that I am passionate about. “
Angela Rose SGSCC disAbility Manager