Redundancy is a term heard often in these times of transition for many Australian industries. Upskilling is another; so is retraining.
Bundoora forklift driver Sam Matusko was given six months to transit from a job he’d had for 17 years with Amcor, at Keon Park, after the company lost one major contract to New South Wales and its largest client to production offshore.
The 44-year-old appreciated the company life he’d had; most people who worked there were long-time employees, too. The company paid above-award wages, was big on occupational health and safety, and the plant was “world’s best practice”.
“The unions definitely looked after us when Amcor went down,” Mr Matusko said. “If unions and management talk, you usually get a good result.”
Time was one crucial element in finding work; the other was having the skills he had built up on the job recognised and certified against national training standards.
Mr Matusko found his warehousing and manufacturing skills and his responsibility for transport and logistics within his workplace translated into a certificate 3.
“That certificate from Kangan [Institute] was certainly helpful when I started looking for work,” Mr Matusko said.
“Three months before our termination I started to apply. Then five to six weeks before I finished I was offered a couple of jobs.”
He took a position not far from home at PWB Anchor, a 90-year-old Australian manufacturer of lifting equipment, chains, shackles and swivels that give lifting and hauling mechanisms flexibility. Mr Matusko finished at Amcor on a Friday and started at PWB Anchor the following Monday.
Mr Matusko has also signed up at Kangan Institute to do a diploma of logistics.
“This will help me become a leading hand, more warehouse management,” he said.
“I can’t drive a forklift forever.”
