“The support really allows you to just focus on your job. You don’t have to worry and can focus on your training and your employment, and trust that everything else is being taken care of.”
– Alister Hodgman, Consultant Arborist, Element Tree Services
Alister Hodgman was first introduced to Work & Training when he applied for a job at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Through this introduction, Alister undertook a horticultural apprenticeship and now manages his own business, Element Tree Services, where he works as a Consultant Arborist.
“Work & Training facilitated the experience that I got at the Botanical Gardens – it allowed me to get out in the community. It was an amazing experience and a good grounding for me.”
The ongoing support that Alister received from Work & Training during his apprenticeship helped him to focus on developing his career.
“Work & Training took care of all the administration and day-to-day stuff and provided a mentor who supported me” he says.
“The support really allowed me to just focus on my job. I didn’t have to worry and could just focus on my training and employment, and trust that everything else was being taken care of.”
It’s something that Alister believes is an important factor in enabling apprentices and trainees to complete their qualifications and go on to a successful career.
“Nowadays with the pace of life and some workplaces, apprentices and trainees can get a little bit lost. To be supported by a third-party like Work & Training is a great thing.”
Without the opportunity and support provided by Work & Training, Alister believes he would have struggled to define his future path.
“I had been sort of lost in terms of career ambition and goals” he explains.
“To find a job, an employment opportunity that I was supported through, has certainly helped to set me up with where I am now as a business owner.”
Alister Hodgman – Consultant Arborist, Element Tree Services
Want to create your own path? An apprenticeship or traineeship supported by Work & Training could be the first step.