We decided to share her story with the aim of showing appreciation and support for our tradeswomen, apprentices and women who wish to enter the trades.
When I began thinking about my career path, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Most people I knew had a rough idea of their future career plan but I wasn’t really sure. My Mum found a traineeship in conservation and land management in the paper and encouraged me to apply. Unsure of what I wanted, I decided to apply. The Traineeship was at Sages Cottage Farm, where we did a combination of Horticulture, Conservation, even animal welfare.
At the farm, my passion for horticulture began. I loved working outside whilst learning about plant species. When I completed the traineeship I had obtained my Certificate II in Conservation Land Management.
At the end of Year 12, I began an apprenticeship at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. During this time I won Apprentice of the Year for the Horticulture Parks and Gardens section and was encouraged to start my Diploma of Horticulture. Once I completed my apprenticeship, I started looking for a company that would be the right fit.
From their presentation to their processes and protocols, Programmed was one of the most professional companies I’d ever worked for. The best part about Programmed is the diversity of knowledge and experience.
At Programmed, my manager was always very supportive of me and my ambitions for the future. When, after two years, I decided I wanted to challenge myself further and try something new, my manager, determined to keep me with Programmed, told me about a position at City of Casey as a Playground Auditor which sparked my interest.
As the official Playground Auditor for the City of Casey, I worked with the team to ensure playgrounds are in safe and working order. Despite being the only female in this crew I never felt out of place. For someone with next to no skill set with drills, my team were more than happy to teach and encourage me.
Over the years, The City of Casey team has been refined into two Auditors, two reactive crew, and one shared apprentice. Through this the auditors took on more work, more responsibility and the crew became more efficient.
During my time at Programmed I have always felt supported and valued. I feel that this all comes down to the work environment, the crew, the job, and every manager I’ve had so far at Programmed. I love the fact that even if I need a change Programmed seemed to have another opportunity for me to do something completely different.
To any young women looking for a career in the trade, I would encourage them to look at Programmed, I recommend taking the same leap of faith that I did. Programmed is such a welcoming, understanding, easy-going company who will exceed all expectations.
The team will encourage and support you throughout your journey and will listen to your career dreams. Programmed is not just a job, it’s a career.
