John Ly

Recruitment Partner

This Recruitment Partner is changing lives, one job placement at a time

Job hunting is a difficult endeavour for anyone. Endlessly scrolling through online job boards and struggling to get creative with a cover letter can easily become a tiring task. But for those facing additional barriers to employment, these challenges can seem insurmountable. Enter John Ly. Working quietly and diligently, John helps vulnerable people throughout their job search, providing them with the resources and training they need to gain employment. For him, changing a life is all in a day’s work.

The importance of work

Our employment status can have a huge impact on our wellbeing - a fact John Ly is well aware of. Over his eight years at Community Solutions, he’s witnessed countless examples of the benefits a job can provide. Gaining employment can turn a life around; it brings financial security and stability, and the ability to plan for the future. But it’s so much more than that. Employment provides social connection, confidence and a sense of purpose.

“To be successful at Community Solutions, you need to be very passionate about helping people,” John explains. “We’ve created an environment where people truly care about the impact we have. This isn’t just another job; it’s not about the money. You have to be connected to the purpose.”

As a Recruitment Partner, John bridges the gap between job seekers and employers, enabling better outcomes for both parties. He maintains connections with employers in the local area, keeping up to date with vacancies that might be suitable for his clients.

“The people we help could be facing a number of barriers around entering the workforce. Our clients comprise people with disabilities, young people who are struggling to land their first job, people who have migrated to Australia, and people from various other backgrounds. Most of my clients are mature age and have lived in Australia for many years. We help them gain skills or access resources, like specific uniforms, tools, technical training, or help learning English. We support them to upskill until they’re ready for a job, and then we help them find one.”

Matching skills to roles

John doesn’t take the responsibility of his role lightly. He knows the impact his work can have on the people he supports and the workplaces they enter. That’s why he’s dedicated to ensuring the perfect match between an employee and employer. At Community Solutions, we share this sentiment - we take the time to truly understand the strengths of the people on our team, and support them to use their skills to provide the best quality services.

John originally hails from Vietnam. Growing up, he was close to his parents and brother. His grandparents had migrated to the country from China, so John learned both Vietnamese and Mandarin during his childhood. He moved to Australia in 2003, and later sponsored his parents and brother to join him.

In his work at Community Solutions, John is able to draw on his Vietnamese and Mandarin language skills to provide an extra level of support to people who aren’t confident speaking English.

“Before I joined Community Solutions, I worked in a similar role helping people with disabilities to gain employment. But I knew I could do more. Here, I help a lot of people who have migrated to Australia, whose English language skills are very limited or non-existent. The language barrier can be a huge challenge, so the service we provide makes a real difference to their outcomes.”

The journey to a positive outcome

While John witnesses plenty of positive outcomes with his clients, it can sometimes be a long journey to get there. He says having patience and empathy are key.

“Finding a job for a client can sometimes take six months to a year. You need to be very understanding throughout the process. But it’s worth it when you have a positive result. When we place a client into employment, we keep in contact with them to help them settle in. I continue my relationship with them for six months after employment, so I get to see the transformation in their lives.”

While John finds plenty of purpose in his work, it’s clear the people he supports feel the same way. The Disability Employment Services (DES) star ratings measure the success of providers based on the positive outcomes of clients. As a new DES provider, our Springvale location started on the baseline 1 star rating. When John started working at this location, he took on a whole caseload by himself, and worked tirelessly to provide the best possible service for our clients. Within a few short years, John boosted the rating to 4 stars - a truly incredible achievement.

John, thank you for everything you bring to the Community Solutions team. The contributions you make for your clients is indisputable, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your efforts.