From nana and retail worker to heavy machinery operator
Rochelle Maaka is a grandmother and full-time carer for two of her grandchildren (aged 9 and 10 years old) who made the daily trip up from her home in Thames for the two-week Whiti Supply Chain Programme. Her goal? To realise a decades old ambition to drive a forklift for a living.
"I got my forklift driving ticket decades ago but never utilised my skills because as life would have it, I went on a different career path to where I initially wanted to go within the heavy machinery industry.”
Recently however, the Whiti Supply Chain Programme came up and Rochelle saw her opportunity to finally get behind the controls of a forklift.
"I wanted to come on the Whiti course as a refresher and because I want to get employment. I thought I would get my endorsement and find work as a forklift driver or similar," Rochelle says.
An industry first, the Whiti Supply Chain Programme provides people with real skills and access to jobs from approved employers. The fully funded programme has been developed with the support of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to provide a pathway to secure employment in the supply chain industry.
The programme combines innovative Virtual Reality (VR) forklift training with personal development coaching for New Zealanders currently on the benefit.
One of the challenges that Rochelle faced, apart from travelling, was finding people to look after her two grandchildren while she attended the programme. Once that was sorted, she was away.
"Everybody on the course got on really well even though we were a diverse mix of people. Everybody helped each other, which helped us get through the assessments.
"I went from discouraged to encouraged," says Rochelle, adding that Whiti training facilitator Roger Martin was 'straight up' and relatable.
"The virtual reality (VR) forklift driving simulator gave me the confidence to get on the machine itself. The health and safety aspect, particularly how vital it is in the workplace, was a big part of the training and left us with a lot of appreciation for keeping ourselves and our colleagues safe.”
Rochelle says that anybody who can join the Whiti Supply Chain programme should grab it with both hands.
