Your young adult wants to work, but doesn't know where to begin. Do you start with job applications, volunteering, training or building confidence and independence?
For many young people, preparing for employment involves more than finding a job vacancy. It means understanding their strengths, exploring interests and developing practical skills through real-world experiences.
At Working Savvy, we provide practical employment coaching and employment-focused Occupational Therapy to support young people on the Gold Coast and beyond.
We believe you don't have to have everything worked out before you begin.
Meet Olivia: Our Gold Coast Employment and Daily Living Coach
Olivia works alongside young people to develop the skills and confidence that support employment, independence and community participation.
Olivia brings qualifications in Psychology and Criminology, giving her a valuable understanding of human behaviour, motivation and the challenges that can influence confidence, independence and participation.
Combined with her calm, approachable nature and practical coaching style, Olivia is a great fit for young people finding their feet, exploring employment pathways and building the everyday skills they need to thrive.
Her approach is practical, strengths-based and individualised, with support that might include:
Recognising strengths, interests and abilities.
Building confidence, self-awareness and a positive disability identity.
Developing communication, teamwork and self-advocacy skills.
Practising organisation, time management and workplace routines.
Recognising when support, adjustments or breaks are needed.
Building emotional regulation, flexibility and problem-solving skills.
Exploring vocational pathways, volunteering and work experience.
Developing independence by gradually reducing support where appropriate.
At Working Savvy, employment coaching is complemented by employment-focused Occupational Therapy.
Together, we look beyond the job itself to understand how daily routines, executive functioning, communication, sensory needs, emotional regulation and independence can influence a young person's ability to prepare for, obtain and sustain employment.
It's not just about finding a job. It's about developing the skills that make employment possible and sustainable.
A Real Employment Journey: Learning Through Experience
One young person supported by Olivia had a clear goal: they wanted to work.
But knowing you want to work and knowing where to begin are two different things.
Rather than jumping straight into job applications, Olivia supported opportunities to explore different work environments, discover strengths and build practical skills.
Volunteering: A Pathway, Not the Destination
At a pre-loved clothing store, the young person helped select and organise clothing, create outfits, merchandise displays, unpack stock and work alongside others.
These activities provided opportunities to practise planning, organisation, sequencing, following instructions, attention to detail, teamwork and workplace communication.
Importantly, they also created opportunities to build confidence and work with increasing independence.
These skills are transferable to many different workplaces.
Volunteering can be a valuable environment for developing and demonstrating work-related skills. But it should be purposeful, with opportunities to review progress and consider how those skills can transfer into paid employment.
The question isn't simply, "What activity can this young person participate in?"
It's also, "What are they learning, and how will that help them move towards their employment goals?"
Building Skills in a Café Environment
Another opportunity involved taking orders, organising order slips, preparing hot chocolates, calling customer names, handing out drinks and helping with cleaning tasks.
These experiences helped develop customer service, communication, teamwork, initiative and the ability to work in a busy environment.
But some of the most valuable learning happened when things didn't go to plan.
There were noisy environments, unexpected changes, challenging social interactions and moments of disappointment.
These situations created opportunities to practise recognising support needs, communicating with others, asking for help, managing frustration and returning to tasks after challenges.
The goal isn't to remove every challenge. It's to provide the right support, including appropriate workplace adjustments, to help young people navigate challenges and build confidence.
Why Reflection Matters: Turning Experience into Skills
Olivia's role wasn't simply to support participation in activities. It was to provide coaching, identify opportunities for skill development and help the young person reflect on their experiences.
What worked? What strengths emerged? What support made a difference? What was challenging? What could we try next?
And importantly, how can these skills transfer into other settings and future employment?
Sometimes progress looks like:
Completing a task with less prompting.
Asking for help before becoming overwhelmed.
Trying something unfamiliar.
Managing disappointment and trying again.
Recognising a personal strength.
Becoming more confident in a workplace or community setting.
For me, this reflection is what turns an activity into purposeful skill development.
It helps us recognise progress, identify the next steps and build on skills that can support greater independence, community participation and sustainable employment.
How Can Working Savvy Help Your Young Adult?
Olivia helps turn broad employment goals into practical, achievable steps.
Support can include employment coaching, vocational exploration, volunteering, workplace activities, work experience preparation and community-based skill development.
Together, Olivia and I bring employment coaching and employment-focused Occupational Therapy expertise, working alongside young people, their families, support coordinators and other professionals to connect employment goals with greater independence in everyday life and community participation.
For one young person, the starting point might be identifying interests and strengths.
For another, it might be learning to use public transport, developing a weekly routine, practising workplace communication or approaching an employer.
Our focus is on identifying the skills a young person already has, understanding where support or adjustments may be helpful and creating practical opportunities to build on those strengths.
There is no single pathway. The starting point should reflect the young person's goals, strengths and support needs.
Let's Explore What's Possible
Not sure where your young adult should start?
Olivia provides practical employment and daily living coaching on the Gold Coast, working alongside me as an employment-focused Occupational Therapist. Together, we combine hands-on coaching with occupational therapy expertise to identify barriers, build functional capacity and develop practical strategies that support greater independence, meaningful participation and sustainable employment.
Whether your young person is exploring their first job, developing work readiness skills or building independence, we can help identify a practical starting point.
If you're a parent, young adult or support coordinator looking for employment support on the Gold Coast, we'd love to start a conversation.
Contact Working Savvy to discuss your young person's goals and explore the next steps.
Website: www.workingsavvy.au
Email: jo@workingsavvy.au