A partnership between Hume council and courier service TNT Express has secured jobs for 10 unemployed residents.
The council’s Local Jobs for Local People program, a free recruitment service that links employers with nearby jobseekers, helped pair the logistics company with the young men.
The new recruits, all of whom are under 25, have been employed as cadets, which will see them rotate between roles in the company, from assisting delivery drivers to manning the phones providing customer service and unloading at the docks.
Eighteen-year-old Roxburgh Park resident Jordan Verlaque is among the cadets who will be based at Tullamarine, in TNT’s largest depot worldwide.
Mr Verlaque, who turns 19 next month, had been unemployed for two months before landing the role with TNT. He had started a carpentry apprenticeship but didn’t enjoy the trade so quit after eight months, only to find himself without income for longer than expected. “While I was living with my parents, I still had expenses to pay so it was pretty vital I got a job,” he said.
Since starting at TNT in April, Mr Verlaque has had a new lease on life. “I’m really enjoying it; I get to try a bit of everything.”
Hume mayor Adem Atmaca said landing a job could change someone’s life. “Most of the residents who are now cadets at TNT live in the Broadmeadows, Jacana and Dallas area … one of the new recruits did not have a permanent home, but this job has enabled him to secure an ongoing residence in Roxburgh Park.”
The council’s Together 3047 program also helps residents to gain training and employment.
Call 9205 2200 or search hume.vic.gov.au/together3047
