After the Mining Boom. What Next for Forgotten Employees?

With the highest unemployment rate in Australia, WA is struggling to keep its workers employed and those with disability, mental illness or experiencing homelessness will struggle even more as the jobless line increases, writes disability employment expert Elizabeth Thair.

With the highest unemployment rate in Australia, WA is struggling to keep its workers employed.Those with disability, mental illness or experiencing homelessness will struggle even more as the jobless line increases.  What happens to them?  

Many who have lost roles in mining are struggling to find employment.

With many waiting in line for jobs, people with disability and those less fortunate will need even more help from good employment providers who can advocate their clients’ strengths, abilities and special qualities.

It is hard to comprehend for the rest of us in work what it is like to lose your job and in some cases your identity.

Those that have been employed understand that you have a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning and a calling.

This is what you are meant to be doing, this is part of who you are and what you have chosen to do.

But what happens when your role becomes redundant?  What then?

Mining has lost talent, skills and qualified individuals. These men and women continue to struggle today to find employment in their chosen field.

Not all is lost, but what is required is an open mind to the opportunities that could be waiting.

Now could be a great time to review your career by asking some all important questions.

1.                What are you passionate about?

2.                What are your dreams, skills, strengths, weaknesses?

3.                Who are you?  Knowing yourself is an important step in getting to where you are meant to be.  Are you kind, compassionate, articulate, logical, analytical?

4.                What would you like to do?  If you had the choice of a dream job what would that look like?

5.                What have you always wanted to do but not had the courage to do until now?

6.                What are the most important key elements you would want in a role?

7.                What are your transferrable skills?

Sometimes asking yourself the most basic of questions gets you thinking about what is possible.

It takes incredible strength of courage, resilience and persistence to never give up but to keep going.  

About the author: ElizabethThair is Director of employment group, Maddison Collins and has over 30 years’ experience across diverse disciplines including work in the Not for Profit sector as an expert in employment services for people with disabilities.