Role at BODEC: Employment Connector
Year Started at BODEC: April 2022
What are some of the things you do in your role at BODEC: Work with employers in the Bicheno/Coles Bay area to find awesome job seekers. While also working this Job seekers to find their ideal employment. Also working with employers to match training to upskill their existing staff and to find training opportunities for job seekers and new employees.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job: The most rewarding part of my job is meeting people from my local community, talking to them to understand their needs and working with them to problem solve and address barriers. I love even the small wins that we achieve along the way!!
What’s your previous experience: My most recent experience was working with employers, apprentices and trainees for MAS National, a National Apprenticeship Network provider. I performed several roles including as the Tasmanian Operations Manager however my favorite role was as a Field Mentor. In the Field Mentor role I worked with Employers and at risk Apprentices to address issues and barriers that might have seen their employment and apprenticeships prematurely end. In this role I was able to help employers while also making a difference in so many young Tasmanian’s lives.
Other experience includes running a Federal Pilot Program, Experience Plus, where I worked with Mature aged Job Seekers aged 50+ to return to work after extended periods away from the workforce. This was a very rewarding program with awesome outcomes where I learned so much about our journeys through life and how networking with peers can make so much difference.
I also facilitated a program known as Ride, which was a program to assist disadvantaged youth in Hobart. In this role we used Mountain Biking as a tool to engage with young people and to take them through a program to learn life skills and also progress them towards being job ready with tangible job outcomes.
Additionally, I worked in the Disability Sector for a number of years supporting people with disability to find and maintain employment. I have fond memories of working with the most inspirational people and the differences that we made in their lives.
And finally, I worked in Launceston in the retail industry for 25+ years including owning and operating the Tasmanian Franchise of Fletchers Fotographics.
What was your first ever job: my first ever job was a school holiday job as a bottle shop attendant at JR Stephenson and Sons in Elizabeth Street in Launceston
If you weren’t doing this job, what would you like to be doing: Most likely driving a bus!
If you could do a training course in anything at all, what would it be: I would so love to do a cookery course as my current cooking skills are limited to .. toast!
Where is your favourite place on the East Coast? Coles Bay without doubt is my favorite place on the East Coast. I fell in love with the area during school holidays in the 70’s and 80’s at the family shack.
What’s one thing you’re really good at: I think I am a really good handyman and there aren’t too many things I won’t have a crack at. Bunnings without doubt is my favorite store!!
What’s one thing you’re really bad at: Cooking and cleaning up a mess
What are your interests and hobbies outside of work: Cycling has been a passion of mine for a good number of years and it has been something that I have been lucky to share with my family. While far from fast on the bike, I enjoy the competitive nature of graded road racing as well as extended hours exploring the back roads of our state. I have been very fortunate to watch the World Road Cycling Championships in Belgium as well as the spring classics like Paris-Roubaix, Fleche Wallone and Amstel Gold in France and the Netherlands. The Tour de France is still on my list.
