Earthmoving News

Semco helping horticultural youth program

Semco Equipment Sales are assisting with valuable training and work experience for young people transitioning into paid employment at yourtown’s Social Enterprises at 3 Warrior Pl, St Marys.

yourtown is funded by community and government to support young people to be defiant in the face of adversity by placing them in control of their own journey. yourtown, through its many services, seeks to enable young people to recognise their unique and evolving needs, comprehensively addressing them, and building their selfsufficiency through being an accessible, trusted, safe and empowering space.

By making a measurably greater impact in the provision of supports to children and young people, we create a powerful ripple effect through the broader community.

David Elliott is the Property Manager for New South Wales and South Australia for yourtown. He manages the organisation’s asset inventory including equipment and buildings.

yourtown acquired Toro mowers from Semco Equipment Sales because they are in wide use by many councils and other prospective employers of our youths in our programs. The Toro equipment is widely respected throughout the horticultural industry and known for its robust construction, reliability, and quality results.

Tony Sadeghi-Assl is the Social Enterprise Manager at St Marys, NSW who explains: yourtown is one of the pioneers of work-based social enterprises in Australia, having provided over 3000 young people with paid work experience and training over the last 20 years. It is designed for young people from 16 to 24 years of age and early school leavers, who have difficulty finding employment, allowing them to gain work and life skills in a supportive environment.

yourtown aims to tackle long-term youth unemployment by providing young people with paid work experience and on-the-job training as a steppingstone to open employment. It is designed for young people who have difficulty finding and sustaining employment.

Young people in our program are trained to use Toro mowers and other equipment while fulfilling paid contracts. Our program teaches young people skills needed to safely operate power tools and equipment and work in a commercial environment.

Many of the young people in our program come from challenging homes and social backgrounds. We give them an opportunity to join our program under a traineeship for a year, during which time they can acquire a Certificate of Horticulture.

Our program allows Enterprise Trainers to work alongside Youth Workers to provide both supervision and mentoring support for participants engaged in labour intensive work, designed to build entry level skills.

Young people are provided the opportunity of a five-week pre-employment program called YESIP before they enter a paid traineeship for 12 months to build the essential skills required before entering into the work force.

Currently yourtown Social Enterprises are mentoring youths on contracts based in lawns and ground maintenance using a fleet of five Toro professional mowers supplied and serviced by Semco Equipment Sales. yourtown provides participants with exposure to a wide range of areas, such as property maintenance, landscaping and horticulture, government, council, and custom services.

yourtown’s Social Enterprise Program provides potential employers greater confidence in knowing the candidates have undertaken fundamental training giving them job-specific skills and values.

For information: entnsw@yourtown.com.au Ph: (02) 8834 3000, | 3 Warrior Place, St Marys NSW 2760.

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