Jessie Ward - Imagine More

Jessie Ward will be presenting on Day 1 of the Opening Opportunities conference with her mother Genna and Job Supporter Cassandra on the theme of developing roles

About Jessie Ward

Jessie is a young Canberran who finished Year 12 in 2021, having completed a Business Apprenticeship in a primary school front office. She worked in Outside School Hours Care the first year after school. She is now studying to be an Early Childhood Educator and is working at a Childcare Centre. She also does paid Advocacy work and, in 2022, helped to design and hold a national Summit for Young People with Disabilities.

Jessie’s work life has been greatly enhanced by what she learned through the Discovery Process and using a Customised Employment approach. She loves being involved in the workforce and is very keen to participate in the wider community. She appreciates having a strong team of mentors that back her up, including Cassandra (her Job Coach and Life Skills Development Mentor), as she takes her place in the world.

Developing roles that align with Jessie’s interests and contributions

Jessie Ward, Genna Ward, and Cassandra Morrow

Genna, Jessie, and Cassandra will discuss their experience with Job Development, focusing on Jessie’s role in after-hours school care. They’ll explain:

the Discovery process and how it helped Jessie to identify her interests and employment aspirations clearly
how they reached out to people they knew to help them brainstorm employment ideas and approach potential workplaces
how they created volunteering and employment opportunities using the Customised Employment approach
the role of a Job Coach and how their understanding of the role has evolved
the Job Development process: what worked, what didn’t, and how they overcame obstacles
what was needed for Jessie to be successful in the workplace, including:
- - clear expectations of what she will do
  - enough hours to have a meaningful working week
  - avoiding big noisy environments
  - consistent co-workers
  - supported study
  - support to understand appropriate expectations.

See the conference schedule | Return to the main conference page

Conference replay is now available

If you weren’t able to attend the Opening Opportunities conference in May 2023, we have some good news for you.

For a limited time, every presentation is available to watch online, on-demand, and for free. All you have to do is register.