Keen worker took his opportunity

Scott Sammons cuts a sheet of aluminium for AMF Boat Company. Photo/Stuart Munro

Taken on two months ago as a cleaner and caretaker, a Wanganui man is now cutting out frames for boats and loving it.

Scott Sammons has had plenty of different jobs. He's worked for Mars Petcare, for K-Mart and for two lawn mowing businesses. He's had his own gardening and lawnmowing business, El Shaddai, for 10 years.

But recently he wanted another 10-15 hours' extra work a week.

Mr Sammons has a disability - an invisible one. He's suffered growths on his vocal cords and had 22 operations, most of them by laser surgery in Wellington. His voice is strained, and at one stage disappeared altogether.

A friend told him to talk to Jan Lawton at Workbridge, an employment service for people with health issues, literacy issues and disabilities.

Mrs Lawton interviewed him and helped him brush up his CV.

Meanwhile AMF Boat Company in Wanganui's Taupo Quay got a big overseas order in October. It had to treble its workforce from three to 10 in two weeks.

Sales manager Jodi Collings wanted a multi-skilled person to act as caretaker and cleaner, both indoors and in the yard. She didn't know how to find the right person.

The company's office manager Hilary Goodey used to do contract work for Workbridge, and suggested she contact Mrs Lawton. She did and Mr Sammons was an immediate hit in his interview with business owner Brian Collings. He was snapped up and the job quickly became more than he expected.

"We realised Scott has skills far in excess of what he was originally employed for. We've been utilising him to do many other tasks," Mrs Collings said.

Mr Sammons was a prime example of people proving what they could do on the job, Mrs Lawton said. He had no prior experience with engineering, apart from an after-school job when he was a boy.

But he's had to fix a lot of lawn mowers, and other things. "At home, I've always been making stuff and building stuff, so it's not like it's brand new to me," Mr Sammons said.

He said cutting aluminium into frames for boats was great fun.

The next task he wants to accomplish is learn to weld.

Mrs Collings said he was 110 per cent reliable too. And that doesn't surprise Mrs Lawton.

"Our research tells us that people like Scott tend to stay longer in their jobs and have a lower rate of absenteeism."

Workbridge's job service is free. There are three staff in Wanganui and they can be contacted on 348 0352.