Robbie has been working as a Supported Employee at OCC Enterprises for 46 years, focusing his efforts on labelling, packing and assembling. He enjoys learning new skills and taking on new opportunities, so he has worked in many different areas and has witnessed many changes to the enterprise throughout his time.
OCC Enterprises has grown massively in the last few decades, employing more people living with disabilities, taking on larger clientele such as Crayola and the Victorian Government, and expanding into new sustainable practices including the production of our very own OC Eco T-Top Bollards.
In June, Robbie added a new OCCE award to his collection! He now, proudly, has 8 employee award certificates on the wall of his bedroom.
For Robbie, working at OCCE means financial security for his future accommodation plans, the life he’s building with his fiancé Denise, and his love for travelling the world. Earlier this year, Robbie travelled to Alaska with Leisure Options, a travel agency for people living with disabilities. He got to explore some incredible small towns built upon the water and see beautiful mountaintops of snow. His next trip will be the Greek Islands, and he’s already saving up.
Robbie loves travelling with a group, but he’s also a regular at solo travel. His extended family lives in Queensland and he’s taken flights up north to stay with them a few times. His confidence in travelling came from his parents – as a family, they would make their way around the nation together and, on the occasion, fly overseas.
In fact, many of Robbie’s hobbies came from his parents. His mother, Joan, was an avid crafter. She enjoyed all kinds of art, including knitting and papercrafts. Robbie loves to make jewellery, and he sells them in garage sales when he has excess. He’s an animal lover and spends time with the cats and dogs at the RSPCA when he can.
Robbie has many social networks incorporated into his weekly routine, including spending time with his church community, fiancé and family, and going to bingo nights with his friends from OCCE. He also has regular at-home dinners with his Specialist Disability Accommodation housemates – he likes to cook and share meals with his friends.
Over the years, Robbie has built up a very strong community around him, and he feels a sense of fulfilment when he’s giving back and supporting those around him. He’s a social butterfly and loves spending free time with his people, his jack russel BoJangle, and the many different groups within OCC.
Thank you for sitting and chatting with us, Robbie. We can’t wait to hear about your next trip!
19 July 2024
Meet Robbie. Yes, “like Robbie Williams the singer,” he says when he introduces himself with a friendly smile. Robbie has been working as a Supported Employee at OCC Enterprises for 46 years, focusing his efforts on labelling, packing and assembling. He enjoys learning new skills and taking on new opportunities, so he has worked in […]
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12 July 2024
An alliance of peak bodies and organisations across Australia representing all parts of the disability services sector is calling on the NDIA and government to take urgent and immediate action to ensure services for people with disability can continue as evidence mounts of a catastrophic market failure in the NDIS.
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5 July 2024
At the end of each month, OCC Enterprises celebrates the efforts of Supported Employees across each area of the organisation. In June, team members were awarded certificates covering several areas of positivity including: Communication, Teamwork, Job excellence, Leadership, And special contributions to OCCE. Encouraging and uplifting our team is important. Employees are valued and […]
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28 June 2024
We are thrilled to announce that as of 24 June, OC Connections has officially merged with The Disability Trust! This momentous step marks the beginning of a new chapter for our organisation, bringing a wealth of exciting opportunities for our participants and staff.
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18 June 2024
This past Saturday, 15 June 2024, OC Connections proudly celebrated the launch of “A Unique Brand of Courage,” a book that beautifully chronicles our organisation’s rich history and the evolving societal attitudes towards people with disabilities.
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12 June 2024
Many people living with disabilities integrate communication tools into their lives. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is important for people with communication difficulties – these systems and tools provide avenues to share thoughts, feelings and needs in real time. What is AAC? To augment is to add or supplement something to your speech, such as […]
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4 June 2024
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Plan Manager and a Support Coordinator? Do you know how NDIS goals are identified and actioned? We sat down with Karly, Team Leader of Support Coordination at OC Connections, to get the answers. What’s the difference? Local Area Coordinator The port-of-call planners. They work directly […]
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26 May 2024
Team Leaders in Day Support have been trying out new, adaptable ways of increasing participant engagement in our recreational and educational programs. People living with disabilities have varying communication and information-processing needs, so our Disability Support Workers and Disability Educators implement flexible learning strategies to reach the many different participants at OC Connections. Disability Educators […]
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21 May 2024
In April, a regular participant of our Short Term Accommodation made the huge move into her very own home. Taryn, or Taz as her family and friends call her, spent several years utilising our short term accommodation space, learning how to live independently and developing household skills such as cooking and cleaning. With the encouragement […]
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OC Connections acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of this nation. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and future.
OC Connections respects Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their contribution to our society.
