By CASEY NEILL
KEN Weller was made redundant when his employer of more than 17 years recently shut down.
“It was like my world ended,” he said.
“I lost my job, I lost my car, I almost lost the place where I live, I lost my girlfriend and basically I lost the will to live.
“I’d go to bed on the Friday and I wouldn’t get up until Tuesday or Wednesday.
“I just didn’t see anyone, I didn’t speak to anyone.”
The Dandenong 57-year-old had applied for more than 100 jobs when his Centrelink case manager encouraged him to sign up for a work education course.
“It changed my life. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for them,” he said.
Mr Weller’s two previous jobs were in production support.
“I kept machines running and relieved people for dinner break and tea break,” he said.
“So by the time I got my break I had it alone, and when I did my job I worked alone.
“I’ve been on my own for the last 20 years, and you get used to being on your own.
“So you become like a turtle in a shell and that shell protects you.”
He credits an instructor at Complex Institute of Education with bringing him out.
“Catherine Winsall. She’s the one that pushed me,” he said.
“I still have her finger-marks in my back!”
The Registered Training Organisation (RTO) runs job readiness programs from an office on Walker Street, Dandenong, and works with employment service providers.
Mr Weller secured a work placement at Trade Secret in Dandenong Plaza and couldn’t praise his colleagues enough.
“They just helped me and because I’d been out of retail for maybe 35 years or more,” he said.
“It was just a joy to work with them.
“When you’re happy with your job and you just enjoy the company of the people you work with it’s very easy to go to work.”
The company asked him to stay on as a casual working a few hours three days a week.
“It’s a start,” he said.
“It’s a great place to work. I get to meet people and I get to interact with the public.
“I can now get up in the morning because I have Trade Secret. They’re my family now.”
Mr Weller now plans to complete responsible service of alcohol and photography courses.
