Connections for Quality gives you information to help you choose the right provider for your needs. The sections on this page are the Service Quality Indicators. They tell you more about this provider and their services.
Our job seekers
At NOVA Penrith , our greatest reward is when a jobseeker comes in and says, ‘Thank you. Now I don’t have to worry about Christmas presents or the bills’.
Our outlet is a short stroll from Penrith station and Penrith Plaza. There is parking right in front of our outlet at 20 Soper Place. The office entrance accommodates wheelchairs. Other disability-friendly amenities include a ‘pick up and set down’ space at our front door. The office itself is spacious and our friendly staff will greet you on arrival.
We listen to your interests, goals and needs and we start to look for work straight away. We find employment that is achievable realistic, suitable and sustainable. We can accommodate jobseekers who wish to work in Sydney as well as those who want local jobs. Penrith NOVA also has great relationships with other NOVA offices, including neighbouring St Marys and Springwood.
This job-seeker story gives you an idea about how we can help.
Name: Gerard
Workplace: law firm, Sydney
Barrier: Asperger’s Syndrome
This is a challenging role for someone with Asperger’s Syndrome but, with Gerard’s persistence and support from his Employment Consultant (EC), he’s doing really well. At the beginning, Gerard’s EC travelled with him by train into Sydney each day. Now he travels independently and completes administrative tasks such as answering the phone at the switchboard. It’s a very vocal role that can be hard, but he enjoys the challenge! NOVA helped by educating Gerard’s co-workers about Asperger’s Syndrome.
To read about someone who just needed help with job-seeking and confidence, with very little onsite support, please go to our ‘Network’ section: Andrew’s story.
Our employers
NOVA Penrith enjoys strong relationships with a range of employers, from large car dealerships to small businesses. We save employers time and money by only putting forward the best candidate for the prospective role. Our employment partners come from a variety of industries: childcare, automotive, picking, packing, warehousing, manufacturing, hospitality, animal care, administration and general labouring, just to name a few.
The strongest NOVA-employer partners result in repeat business because employers are happy with how we support the job seeker to become a productive worker in their workplace. We also educate their co-workers about their disability.
Here’s what a handful of our employers have to say:
‘I’m very happy with the service I’ve received from NOVA and feel comfortable that you’re on-hand to support Daniel.’ Greg, hire company
‘Brian will always have a place with us. Last week we had our official opening and Brian had a big role assisting throughout the day. We couldn’t have done it without him.’ Graeme, water services
‘To be honest, I’m not sure how long Gerard will need NOVA’s support. He is fantastic! Leagues ahead of himself.’ Erin, legal chambers
Interested in partnering with NOVA?
All it takes is a phone call. We’ll take care of the rest. Initially we meet with you to discuss your recruitment needs. From there we ‘job match’ a candidate and organise an interview. You decide whether the candidate will become a valuable employee. We provide training and post-placement support to you and your staff for as long as it takes for the worker to become adept at the role. You, the worker and NOVA all have a vested interest in getting this right.
Our networks
At NOVA, we know that our community matters to our job seekers. That’s why we make sure to connect with other Penrith services. We have particularly strong relationships with:
Penrith Disability Resource Centre - free counselling, legal advice and advocacy
Penrith Mental Health Service - a program specifically for people with mental health issues
Other community services with whom we work closely include:
Penrith Community Health Centre
WASH House, Mt Druitt
Richmond Women’s Refuge
WestCare Penrith
Marist Youth Care
Wentworth Community Housing
Nepean Youth Accommodation Service
NYAS - Youth Support Services
Penrith Women’s and Girls’ Health Centre
Nepean Hospital - Pialla Unit - Mental Health Services
When NOVA has access to experts in the areas listed above, life is a lot better for our jobseekers. If things like health, housing, medication, transport, are taken care of NOVA staff are more able to do what they do best: support our jobseekers find and keep a great job.
Name: Andrew
Role: Administration Clerk
Barrier: neurological disorder
Due to his disability, Andrew had both feet amputated at the ankle. His hands and facial features were also affected, which can be quite confronting visually. Until coming to NOVA Penrith, Andrew had never been offered a job. NOVA and Andrew worked to overcome this. We found a great employer who looked past Andrew’s physical disabilities to see the clever, articulate young man that he is. He only needed initial support off the job around developing a working lifestyle. He is quite competent in his role, but still likes to touch base weekly with his Employment Consultant.
Our performance
We’re really proud of our contribution to the Penrith community through finding good jobs for people with a disability and supporting them in their role. Our friendly and experienced staff take the time to understand each jobseeker’s individual circumstances and needs.
NOVA Penrith helps a wide variety of people into employment despite many of our jobseekers experiencing more than one barrier to finding employment, full-time jobs are found for 47% of our job seekers.
We achieve these great statistics by creating flexible and personal programs that suit each jobseeker and each employer. In short, we listen to the needs our jobseekers, learn about their skills and dreams, and help them find a job to match. We also work hard to understand our business partners so that we can support them through the entire recruitment process, including post-placement support.
Although we find jobs for people with any type of disability, two groups make up most of our jobseeker base: young people and people with an intellectual disability:
52% our jobseekers are aged under 25. We work closely with local schools and youth support services to ascertain how best to support young people seeking work. We know that youth are particularly vulnerable to unemployment and strive to find ‘real’ jobs that are long-term and meaningful.
36% of people who register with NOVA Penrith have a mild or a moderate intellectual disability. This gives us a rich understanding of the broad range of interests, experiences for people with intellectual disability. We know that no two people are the same and tailor our coaching, training and job searches to accommodate each individual.
About us
NOVA Penrith takes pride in delivering programs to suit each individual jobseeker. We believe nobody with a disability should feel like a number. Every person with a disability has the right to be listened to and treated with respect. At NOVA we tailor our approach to suit our job seekers’ interests, strengths and needs to gain and keep employment. There is nothing more satisfying than congratulating a job seeker on the job that they have had a hand in getting!
We regularly link up with other local services, such as mental health, housing and counselling. We also hold workshops at our Penrith office that encourage jobseekers to gain confidence and employment-related skills, including building resumes, understanding employer expectations and improving presentation.
Our staff have experience across a broad range of disabilities. Our outlet manager can communicate in Old Signed English (Deaf Sign Language) and one of our employment specialists works specifically with mental health in partnership with Penrith Mental Health Services. Most of our staff have personal experience of relatives or friends with disabilities.
Read one of our job seeker’s praise for our help:
“NOVA works tirelessly to provide the best service for their jobseekers. From the moment we walk in the door we are given the belief from the staff that we are important and deserve to be in the workplace. The amount of work they do for us is amazing, from calling potential employers, to face-to-face meetings with employers and meeting with us - the jobseekers. Their motivation and dedication goes largely unnoticed, but ask any of us and we will tell you the fantastic job NOVA do.” Andrew, jobseeker
