Craig's Table, an icare-backed engagement and rehabilitation enterprise for injured workers, has welcomed the first cohort of graduates of its 12-week training program.
The program, funded by icare foundation, seeks to empower injured workers to return to work and to life with renewed confidence and skills in such areas as emotional intelligence, mental health, financial literacy, information technology, and manual handling.
Alan, one of the eight who graduated on Friday, said the program helped him return to work after a five-year absence from the workforce due to a workplace injury.
“It wasn’t easy for me to connect with Craig’s Table, but after spending time with the others and attending the training sessions, I rebuilt my confidence and felt ready to re-enter the workforce," he said. “I’d been in construction all my life and I wanted to stay in the industry if I could. The Craig’s Table staff helped me to think about jobs in construction that I could do while also managing my back injury. This led me to safety training."
Alan said he already had an interview with his local TAFE to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Once completed, he'll start part-time work teaching apprentices about safety in construction.
“Alan’s experience with Craig’s Table demonstrates the possibilities for recovering workers to return to meaningful employment and move on with their lives,” said Eugene McGarrell, general manager of health and community engagement at icare NSW. “Not only does Craig’s Table help recovering workers get back to work, it also provides a supportive network where they can share their experiences with others in similar situations, connect with their community and create a place to belong.”
Craig’s Table was founded in Adelaide by Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson, and in 2017 received seed funding of $500,000 from the icare foundation to support its launch in NSW.
The second cohort of participants has commenced the training program, but Craig's Table continues to accept referrals all year, the NSW insurer and care provider said.
