Supported Employment Opens Up New Opportunities At Auckland’s SKYCITY

Meet Israel, Assistant Pastry Chef at Auckland’s SKYCITY, who is Deaf and found his dream job through Geneva Elevator’s Supported Employment Services. His role involves preparing and packing products as well as helping to make and decorate the delicious pastries served to SKYCITY’s guests from around the world.

Before I met Geneva’s Supported Employment team, I was working part-time as a Bar Manager / Kitchen Staff. Before that job though, I stayed at home not doing much for a long time,

says Israel.

Geneva Elevator’s Supported Employment services help connect and support both Clients with diverse needs to meaningful employment opportunities and employers who are looking to provide more inclusion and diversity in their workplace environment.

I love learning new things and working together with Chefs, Stewards, and other people around SKYCITY. Breaking the communication barrier is always tricky, but it’s one of the challenges I enjoy the most,

says Israel.

Renetta checks in with my management team and me regularly and creates tools for my team members to learn New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). Overall it has made the whole situation easier for a Deaf person like myself.

Recently, Israel helped SKYCITY’s initiative to provide educational New Zealand Sign Language cupcakes to their staff for NZSL Week (6 – 12 May 2019). By encouraging people to learn one of the official languages of Aotearoa, we can become more inclusive and help open up new opportunities like employment, for those of us who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Find out more about how we could support you or a loved one through our Flexible Disability Support Services.