New Career Path Blooms

20 May

The sunflowers that tower over Jacinta now she planted on her first day working at Bon in the Garden. As they’ve grown, a new career path has blossomed in a job she happily says helps her bounce out of bed every morning, excited about the day ahead.

Jacinta is a Flower Hand at Bon Manley’s thriving small business in Gippsland’s Wellington Shire, now also affectionately known as the Middle of Everywhere. Tucked away in a quiet country lane in the sleepy little farming village of Seaton, is a fertile line up of carefully planted flower beds in which Bon grows varieties specifically for their edible qualities. She dehydrates their petals and turns them into jars and packs of delicate sprinkles that add a burst of colour to cocktails, cakes, cheese platters, salads – the possibilities are limited only by imagination.

Jacinta joined Bon in the end of 2021 after a number of years in hospitality. With four kids at school, a busy dairy farmer husband and ongoing uncertainty driven by covid, she knew it was time to take a different direction, away from high pressure fast paced shift work and long days inside on her feet.

It didn’t take too much coaxing to convince her that working with flowers would be rewarding and enjoyable, and the support Bon in the Garden received from Food & Fibre Gippsland’s Connect 2 Employment Program meant that onboarding her new recruit was seamless.

The program, supported by Jobs Victoria, has Jobs Mentors spread throughout Gippsland to help job seekers find the job that is right for them, and then support them into those roles with things like the purchase of appropriate clothing, PPE and footwear, fuel vouchers to help them get to work in that first few weeks of employment whilst waiting for their first pay. There’s also capacity for the program to support new employees by funding training courses and industry education that will be helpful in their new role and provide them with further upskilling.

Bon calls the support from Connect 2 Employment a “game changer”.

“It’s been such a huge help for the business for Jacinta to have the right gear to be able to work safely outside, and given she started at our busiest time of the year, it was fantastic to have her hit the ground running and not have to use any of her own clothing or shoes – it’s a garden – you get dirty every day!“ she said.

“Having everything organised in one hit has saved us over $1,000 in time and money – it was a real wow moment for us to have this sort of help and interest in our busy small business – the support from the Jobs Victoria mentor was almost like having our own mobile HR person who’s really invested in the success of a new employee – it meant there was quite a few things I didn’t have to organize or worry about, and I could get on with welcoming Jacinta into the workplace ”.

Jacinta credits the support from the Connect 2 Employment Program in eliminating any overwhelm she was feeling, making her career change a stress-free experience. And whilst she was a little nervous at first because she had never worked anywhere like Bon in the Garden, she now absolutely loves it.

“It’s so perfect – I’m in the sunshine and fresh air – it’s peaceful, quiet and I’m working with pretty flowers every day – what’s not to like!”

She encourages anyone who is looking for work or wanting to try a new industry to get in touch with the Connect 2 Employment team.

“Having the support of the Jobs Victoria Mentor takes all the overwhelm and stress out of trying something new – they really do support you every step of the way as you start a new job and continue to provide a lot of support as you settle in – it has been and continues to be a really positive experience“ she said.

Jacinta takes a lot of joy seeing something she has planted from a seed grow and likens it to her own growth – as she looks up to the bright sunflowers that were just seeds when she met them, they’re thriving and she feels the same way.

“I’ve followed my happiness, and I just love it every day, I encourage anyone who wants to have more happiness in their job to work with Connect 2 Employment to find for the right workplace and people…and then just go for it – you’ve got nothing to lose” she said.

What works so well for Bon and Jacinta is constant open lines of communication. They spoke at length before Jacinta started about what Bon needed from the role, and how trust with each other would play a huge role in their success working together.

“Some days I can’t always be on site all day, but we’ve built such a trusting work relationship, that I know if I give Jazzy a brief of what we need done that day, it’ll get done”

Jacinta is thriving working in a small business.

“You’re personally involved in so many things – I love seeing the week-on-week growth in the flower beds and I’m always thrilled to bits when Bon in the Garden flower sprinkles are being used by restaurants and cafes around Gippsland – when I see them, I smile and think, I grew those!”

“I love putting the flowers into the drying racks – I’m already excited about what colours they’re going to dry as to go into our edible sprinkle jars and packs – Bron’s wins are my wins”

Bon says ultimately she wanted a workplace she was proud of, where people feel safe and secure. It’s pretty evident after spending time in the flower beds with these two that this has been achieved.

Sunshine, flowers and happiness is how Jacinta sums up her every day. After coming from a high pressure environment, she took a few weeks to settle into a new slower pace, that Bon says resulted in better productivity on the ground, and continued growth in her job satisfaction.

A final bit of advice from both ladies; take the chance and explore your job options, enjoy something completely different, and never be too shy to utilise programs like Food & Fibre Gippsland’s Connect 2 Employment.

Support provided to Jacinta and Bon in the Garden includes :

Purchase of overalls, steel cap boots, appropriate sun protection
Funding for participation in a first aid course to equip Jacinta with advanced first aid training
Other ongoing training courses relevant to her role and further upskilling and development

Find out more and get connected with a Jobs Victoria Mentor, go to our Connect 2 Employment webpage.