Workmates Supported Employment Agency is the trading name for Focus Trust Inc., a Charitable Trust that provides supported employment services in the greater Porirua and Kapiti Coast areas.  We provide services to people with disabilities and barriers to employment.  We assist them in gaining and retaining market waged employment in the open market arena.  We have been finding people work since November 1995.

Looking for employment opportunities?

We can help!  Workmates Supported Employment is committed to finding employment opportunities for individuals with a disability or barriers to employment, and what's even better is that we provide our services at no cost to you or the employer.

How to get started with Workmates Supported Employment Agency!

The first step is to get a referral.  You can be referred by another agency or person, or you can self refer.  This can be a health professional, family member, Work and Income case manager or support agency.  Referral forms are available upon request from our office.  The information that is required relates to employment only, is confidential, and will assist us in both placement and planning.

Once we have received your referral form we will contact you to arrange an initial interview with one of our employment consultants.  During this interview we will gather some information about your education, work experience, skills and what your employment preferences are.  We may also ask you to participate in designing a development plan that can guide you through the steps required to reach your goals.

Following the initial interview we will begin looking for employment opportunites that match your skills and experience and the type of employment you are looking for.  We have found that the hunt for employment is most successful when our clients work alongside us to pursue opportunities, so we will encourage and coach you to seek out new contacts and to actively look for potential jobs yourself.

When you have been placed into employment our after-placement support team will ensure that you and your employer have access to everything you need to make your placement a success.
 

WorkMates Supported Employment Charter

• Professionals and significant support persons in an effort to provide a holistic service provision to our clients.

• WorkMates Supported Employment is committed to securing appropriate support for our clients when our services are not appropriate to the clients needs.

• WorkMates Supported Employment is committed to supporting both employers and co-workers of our clients, both current and potential, through training, advice and networking.

• WorkMates Supported Employment provides support through skill assessment, career planning and goal setting.

• WorkMates Supported Employment determines to provide a service to all our clientele that is not necessarily restricted by our funders, therefore extending consistency and quality.

• WorkMates Supported Employment is committed to providing a service where there is no fee to the client, which is cost effective and ultimately offers maximum benefits to its clientele.