Travel odyssey begins and ends in Darwin for Neil Pritchard

Casuarina, 8 July 2004 - When Neil Pritchard left Sydney in 1969 for a holiday in Perth , he never made it. In fact, a stop-over in Darwin ended up becoming a lifetime stay for Neil, after he fell in love with the close-knit community and relaxed lifestyle of the Northern Territory.

"I knew from the moment I arrived in Darwin that I would stay for the rest of my life. I'm 61 years old now, and I definitely have no regrets about leaving the rat race permanently behind in Sydney", says Neil.

For 24 years, Neil pursued a satisfying career as an aircraft mechanic in Darwin until a company takeover saw him retrenched at the age of 51. Not one to remain idle, Neil quickly found another job in aircraft maintenance.

But in another unlucky turn of events, he was made redundant again after eight years when the company went bankrupt.

"When I found myself out of work for the second time at the age of 59, I knew it was going to be extremely difficult to find a new job. I wasn't ready for retirement and didn't want to sit back and go on the dole.

"I was determined to find a new job, but everywhere I went, I was told that I was too old to work. It was very frustrating, because after 32 years of experience, I knew I was more than qualified for the jobs advertised," says Neil."

After close to two years of unemployment, Neil finally decided to seek professional help and went to Jobfind Casuarina for some practical advice.

As part of the Federal Government's Job Network, Jobfind Centres's Customized Assistance Program offers job search training services to assist job seekers like Neil with resume and interview techniques, as well as providing practical tips in other areas like self-presentation in one-on-one consultations.

According to employment figures from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, there are currently 70,000 mature-age job seekers registered in the job network and employers across Australia are being urged to do their businesses a favour and give mature age job seekers a "fair go".

"Too often, people as young as 45 are overlooked in favour of younger candidates, which is particularly alarming in light of government plans to extend the retirement age for Australian workers by another 20 to 30 years," says Casuarina Centre Manager Michelle Burgess.

"Employers need to recognise that not only do mature-age workers bring with them decades of practical industry experience, but they are also some of the most reliable, patient and best communicators around. Dollar values can't be placed on life skills, but in a work environment, these qualities make a genuine difference in the way businesses are run."

Thanks to the support given by Jobfind, Neil now has a permanent full-time role in pool maintenance and loves his job.

"I love working because it gives you a sense of satisfaction and a sense of purpose. It's great to be a part of the workforce again and I hope my story will inspire other mature-age jobseekers to keep looking and not to give up.

"There are a lot of people out there who are willing to help you out and give you a fair go. You just need to look for them", says Neil.

Contact information:
info@jobfindcentre.com.au