Finbar wants to be part of work team

Finbar Ruebsam has set himself a goal for 2018 – he wants to get a job.

The 26-year-old Nelson man, pictured, who has Down Syndrome, is a keen sportsman and active member of the community. He has a few small jobs and also spends time volunteering.

His weekly routine involves doing jiu jitsu on Monday and volunteering at the Greenacres Golf Club on Tuesday. On Wednesday he does a paper run and goes to a pub night with friends. He plays golf on Thursday, and on Friday he does boxing.

But what he really wants is to work as part of a team. He has been looking for paid employment for several years. His

CV is up to date, and he has business cards to give to potential employers.

He said his ideal job would be cleaning or looking after the grounds at a local school, or working at a pub.

Special Olympics Nelson head coach Tony Naylor has known Ruebsam for about six years and recently worked alongside him in a volunteer capacity.

Over winter, Ruebsam volunteers at Tasman United Football Club, helping Naylor to set up the goals and the sponsorship signs around the pitch for weekend games.

At Greenacres, he prepares the bunkers by raking the sand, and repairs the tees. Naylor said Ruebsam had a great memory and was good with numbers. Once he was shown how to do something, he would repeat the task accurately and efficiently. ‘‘He is always reliable.’’ Workstar employment consultant Kelly Rozier said he had been working with Ruebsam for the last two months to help him to find a job. ‘‘Things like employment we take for granted, but to him that means everything.

‘‘It’s trying to get people to realise that with Finbar, they are hiring an asset.’’

Rozier said he was hoping someone would give Ruebsam a chance.

‘‘We see a lot of instances where people aren’t given a chance, but when they finally are, they really do shine through.’’

He said research showed that employees with disabilities had less time off, less injuries and a high retention rate.

‘‘He is really well ingrained in this community, so let’s get him ingrained in the workforce.’’

Rozier said that ideally, the job would be 10 to 15 hours a week and involve repetitive tasks. There were options to seek funding for wages, and Workstar would help an employer to provide support.

Anyone wanting more information can contact Rozier at Workstar on kelly@workstar.co.nz or 022 1718 790.