By Kath Gannaway
A collaboration that aims to put people with a disability into the workforce is kicking goals.
Growing Together in Horticulture (GTiH) draws its inspiration and grass-roots experience from Bernie Sullivan who was a team leader and instructor for many years working with people with a disability in a community nursery in the Yarra Valley.
Bernie’s vision is to provide the training and opportunity for people to gain a qualification and paid work, and to provide businesses and government bodies with a skilled and trained workforce.
The work includes horticulture, parks and gardens and some landscaping, tapping into the industries that thrive in the Yarra Valley such as orchards, vineyards, flower growers, nurseries, and environmental projects through government instrumentalities.
With Apprentice Groups Australia (AGA) and Eastern Access Community Health (EACH) on board, along with TAFE, all the training and support elements of the vision are well in place.
Bernie said disability can cover a wide range of perceived limitations from mental health issues to physical impediments.
“As long as they can do the work, the door is wide open to give someone the opportunity to show their real worth instead of crushing them,” he said.
A solid plank of GTiH is that the work is charged out at award rates, addressing a situation Bernie says is a flaw in many systems which provide funding to hire people with a disability.
“What happens too often is that when the money runs out so do the jobs,” he said.
“This is about giving people an opportunity to work and to do a traineeship with all the back up, and getting them out there into the Yarra Valley,” Bernie said.
“We give organisations the opportunity for us to do the work that needs doing and for them to see these guys working, so they can then take them on knowing they are solid workers.
“When someone gets a job, it saves the government money, and someone else can then step into their place and get the same sort of opportunity.”
Ray Dobbie, Field Consultant with AGA) said trainees and ‘employers’ had peace of mind when they get involved with GTiH.
“We’ve been around for 30 years and do the right thing including all entitlements and relevant training,” he said.
“We charge out at award rates and we comply to industry standards … everything is done by the book.”
Consistency of work is the big challenge for GTiH and both Bernie and Ray say they are extremely pleased with the connections they are forging, including with Yarra Ranges Council and other bodies but would like to see more State Government funding put into projects they can tender for.
The satisfaction is mutual.
Yarra Ranges mayor Noel Cliff said the council is proud of its work with GTiH and Mr Sullivan, and has an ongoing commitment to work with the group and its members where possible.
The GTiH group has delivered over $10,000 of maintenance activities at Birdsland and other sites including weed control, amenity whipper snippering and mulching over the past 12 months with other programs currently running and potential programs to be confirmed.
GTiH is now speaking with other councils and government bodies, and Bernie and Ray say the potential to grow the organisation is limited only by the work they can provide to their people.
For more information on GTiH, phone Bernie Sullivan on 0403 588 945.
