Shaun has discovered that the grass is greener on the other side if you’ve got the courage to make a change.
The born-and-bred Lara man just finished a Certificate II in Horticulture. He studied for 18 months and got on-the-job training at Barwarre Gardens Retirement Village.
Shaun said it felt “very good” to get the certificate. “I’m definitely proud,” he said. “I didn’t think I would do something like this.”
Unearthing new skills and a new career path
Shaun is an NDIS participant, accessing a range of support from genU’s Employment Pathways team.
The team assisted the budding gardener to into supported work experience and volunteering at Barwarre Gardens.
When Barwarre Gardens manager Nikki di Pasqaule and grounds coordinator John needed a trainee gardener, Shaun was a great fit. He was ready for a change of scenery from indoors to outdoors after 19 years at the Lara Sporting Club.
John said Shaun displayed the right stuff from day one, fully prepared to get his hands dirty and never shirked a task.
“He’s a very easy person to work with, he was keen, and happy to help whatever the job was,” John said.
“During the grounds development here, there was lots of heavy work, and he was volunteering at the time – most people would turn away from that, but he dug in.”
As part of his work routine, Shaun has specific roles within the grounds maintenance team. This includes looking after the in-ground sprinkler system and caring for the lawns, which involves many hours on the mower. “I like the outdoors, but not when it’s really stinking hot,” Shaun laughed.
The right training sows the seeds for success
Finding the right training course has been an important part of Shaun’s success.
genU’s Employment Pathways team supported him to complete his Cert II through an on-the job traineeship.
He received weekly support from genU to make sure he understood the course content and could use what he learnt to meet each unit requirement.
On-site training proved to be the best option for Shaun, rather than attending night school or sitting in a classroom. But it wasn’t all ‘fieldwork’ with theory needed to complete the five core and ten elective units. “I had to read lots of books,” Shaun said.
Shaun is grateful for the genU team, Barwarre Gardens residents and Murray Mallee Training. “They’ve made me feel comfortable and supported here,” he said. “John and I get on like a house on fire – we’re both Doggies supporters.”
genU CEO Clare Amies said Shaun’s achievement highlighted how tailoring services to people’s needs helps them to reach their goals.
“It’s at the core of what we do, supporting people to reach their full potential, and Shaun has literally achieved that in spades,” she said.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Shaun, who has become an integral part of our close-knit gardening team and is admired and respected by our Barwarre Gardens community. It’s a privilege for us to have helped him reach this goal.”
Wherever you are on your employment journey we can help you turn your employment goal into a meaningful career with Employment Pathways.
Our employment supports help you prepare for joining the workforce by building your skills and capabilities. Learn more