Money in the bank | Active in HELL

Active in HELL (AiH) gave 19-year-old Justin Corry fresh purpose, setting him on the path towards regular employment and putting some money into his bank account – while also allowing him to show others the skills he has up his sleeve.

Justin has just completed his training at HELL South Dunedin and says the best bits about the experience were “learning new tasks” and “having a job”.

AiH is a paid training scheme run through HELL stores across the country, with support from IHC New Zealand. It teaches young adults with intellectual disabilities the practical skills required to thrive in a commercial kitchen, as well as the responsibility of having a job and working as part of a team.

“I learned how to oil pans and fill up sauces like blue cheese, sour cream and cranberry. I also made up the boxes and weighed lots of ingredients,” says Justin, who is mad about maths.

Any job that involves counting or numbers is a dream for him, says his Choices NZ coordinator Ashleigh Pawsey.

“He’s a quick learner and he knows his numbers, so he loved all the jobs he had to do that involved weighing or counting things out. It was very encouraging for me to see that he only had to be shown things a couple of times before he picked it up and got it right!”

Active in HELL - gaining skills and a pay slip

“The goal of AiH has always been to help circumvent the Catch-22 situation that many job seekers find themselves in,” explains Choices NZ’s Active in HELL National Coordinator Krissy Gain.

“Many of our trainees can’t get a job because they don’t have experience – but they can’t get the experience they need because not very many employers are willing or able to give it to them.”

The autonomy and excitement that Justin felt when receiving his paycheck is exactly what the programme is designed to achieve.

“Getting paid made me really happy, I loved being able to buy my own food and snacks,” says Justin. “I was really excited to check my bank account to see if the money had gone in!”

Ashleigh adds that payment brings additional benefits too – such as a mental health boost and helps the trainees to feel good about themselves.

“It was good for Justin to see the value of being paid, rather than feeling like he was doing volunteer work. Being paid also showed him the purpose of work and what he can get out of it,  such as the ability to save up and reach his goals.”

In the next few years, Justin is looking to take on more hands-on training to prepare him to enter the workforce on a more regular basis. After an encouraging six weeks, which improved his confidence, taught him independence and gave him a taste of paid employment, he’ll be well-equipped to smash those goals!

Active in HELL overview

Active in HELL is a partnership between HELL Pizza and IHC New Zealand, the leading provider of services for people with intellectual disabilities.

The initiative provides youths with intellectual disabilities the chance to learn key vocational skills and vital independence through being paid for their training in HELL store kitchens around the country.

The paid training programme consists of 12 two-hour shifts, in which participants learn everything from food safety to how to create a devilishly good pizza.

Running since 2013, Active in HELL recently surpassed 200 graduates and in 2016 won the Diversability Award at the New Zealand Diversity Awards. The Diversability Award is presented to businesses that use innovation to create employment opportunities for differently abled people, including those with physical and mental health conditions.