Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:08 This is breaking barriers, a new podcast from MatchWorks exploring remarkable stories about why work matters and how working is changing the lives of some incredible people like those at hotel ETI, co Australia's, first social enterprise hotel, giving hospitality trainees with intellectual disabilities, the chance to reach their full potential and Jenny gamer and ingenious program using fantasy role-play to help young people achieve a higher level of self identity and confidence, more unmatched works later. I'm not joins. Now. It's time to make two ambitious young men with dreams of working in the sports industry, but where do you start in such a competitive business? And just, what does it take to get a job working alongside some of Australia's sporting heroes? Our first story takes us to the busy port city of Devonport Tasmania. That's the home of young Josh Marshall, a passionate cricket fan from a sports loving family. Forget the MCJ in early 2000. The Marshall's backyard was where it was at big brother iden opening at the bowling on a peach made from old pavers, little sister, Kayla in the sleeps and Josh at the Crace channeling, his hero star batsman and fellow Taz. Wagan Ricky Ponting.
Speaker 2 00:01:30 My whole sort of family's been heavily involved in sport my entire life, and a lot of cricket as well. Grew up around the sort of local cricket club. My dad was president of the new Korea club. Mom ran the campaign, so it was sort of there every Saturday, my whole life. And then in the backyard with my older brother and my youngest sister, every single day after school, me and my brother would be out there. We'd get home from, from school and it'd be straight into the backyard. And starting games of cricket was always me sort of punching up, trying to try and abate my older brother. He's quite, he's got a bit of solos on me as well. So it was a little bit unfair, was probably spent a lot more time on borrowing than I did betting that's for sure. I would bottling for hours and hours. I'd get him in and then I'll probably get a third ball or something like that. So yeah, that was sort of the dynamic it was. And they had the games you usually would end with the tacky, a checking, a tantrum, and then a and crying and mom or dad. So yeah, pretty standard sort of backhand set up, I suppose, order by the little brother set up
Speaker 1 00:02:23 Despite best intentions, Josh had to concede that he was never going to make it to pro sports level. So he settled on a career in sports administration, but first he had to get a degree and to do that. He had to make a courageous decision, leave family and friends in small town, Devonport population, some 22,000 and travel to Melbourne, a bustling city of some three and a half million people. You see the 19 year old had been offered a placement to study sports management at a steamed literary university
Speaker 2 00:02:58 Moving over there. I was living on university campus. So it was pretty daunting going in, not knowing anyone really over there. And then, um, but I sort of had the attitude of everyone else's in, in the same boat. Um, they're all
Speaker 1 00:03:11 Moving there with probably not knowing anyone. I think that was probably the thing. Mum was most scared about that I was just going to eat McDonald's every single night and, um, not be able to claim the on clients. So it was a challenge, but there was always, it was a very, very enjoyable as it turned out Josh and his mom Nadan have worried. He made new friends brushed up on his cooking and cleaning skills and got good grades at uni desperate to further his chances of employment. He did some volunteer work, helping out with match day operations at Melbourne city football club, the 2021 ILA premiers and champions have a longstanding partnership with Latrobe university focused around giving students the best industry opportunities available for Josh. It was a clever move one that would come back to benefit him in unexpected ways.
Speaker 2 00:03:59 I think I learned a little bit about how match days work. You sort of turn up as a fan and you sort of said, oh, happen. And then you sort of get to see the inner workings of a match day and how it all sort of falls into place. But yeah, it was really good experience there. I knew that having volunteer experience is a massive thing, especially in the sporting industry. It shows you not only that you came, but that you're willing to work for free and that you're willing to try and gain experience as well. So I think that was an awesome opportunity
Speaker 1 00:04:23 With the volunteer work over and a sports management degree under his belt, Josh was ready to search for his dream job, but nagging dance remained. Could he really break into the business of sport, such a competitive and popular industry?
Speaker 2 00:04:38 I'd worked really hard and got really good marks or university. So I was, and obviously done a lot of volunteer work. So I was, was really, really determined to, to find a job. But yeah, as we all knew that there was probably a lot of people in my position as well. So that was the, that was the challenging part. Really. When I was meeting with Dave, I was trying to find someone that could put the finishing touches on, on what I had and try and type me to the next level. God already had some originally strong application, but I needed someone to help me put the final touches on it. And yeah, it really helped me sort of make it more, a complete employee
Speaker 3 00:05:10 Dive Devlin service development projects, trainer with MatchWorks. What I do is deliver programs to our job seekers, both in the job, active space and disability employment services space.
Speaker 1 00:05:22 Dave Devlin knows what makes employers teak a super skill that comes in the form of careers, adviser, motivator, and mentor. More specifically, his match works his go-to guy for resume writing, decoding the job interview process and effective job searching since 2018, he's helped more than 70 MatchWorks participants from all backgrounds and walks of life find meaningful work. And in 2019, it was time to say what he could do for Josh Marshall. It certainly helped that the pair had something in common
Speaker 3 00:05:56 Program. And I build a bit of rapport with Josh because he loves his cricket. And I love my cricket as well. In some ways it actually reminded me a little bit of a younger version of myself because of that love for sport. What really impressed me about him. He had a really positive attitude and, and I'll, I'll look, always look for that in playful, positive attitude and a bit of a work ethic. And he appeared to have that. And he talking to Josh about his accomplishments in completing his studies and his volunteer work could see that he had those things
Speaker 1 00:06:24 Inspires, that work ethic, that positive attitude I could sense. It was also pretty keen desperate to get on with his career. He really wanted to get into some sort of sports administration where he could combine his interest and studies into a job for him. I altered it this way. It bet getting all these ducks lined up in a row. It had some obstacles and I actually thought it was a fantastic thing. He did relocating from Tasmania to do actually do those studies and doing these volunteer work. So I thought that was fantastic. So match works is city at work program, a perfect feet for the young sports enthusiast and innovative solution for job seekers. For those from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, city at work aims to fast track pathways to employment by merging intensive employability training with weekly soccer sessions, a collaboration with Melbourne city football club through its charitable arm, CT in the community. Josh was back in his old stomping ground and he loved it.
Speaker 3 00:07:20 I actually thought he was fantastic whether it was in the classroom or actually when we're doing the sporting drills, he always had a small and his doll just always had that positive energy and always a small, uh, had a very diverse group too. So he actually worked in really well and got along with everybody.
Speaker 4 00:07:35 MatchWorks what we do is use football. It's a great icebreaker football itself. They get to know each other. And also on that journey of the 10 days, they start to, we give them small information about all the things you need food for. Also, when you go to get a job, it's about, you know, unearthing, helping them give the skills to on earth, what their actual background and experiences and what are their strengths and so forth to be able to articulate those and write them down. But it's also through the process. We help give them some confidence to help with some basic communication skills. And this is all again, I'm just using football as the framework is that as the catalyst to do this,
Speaker 1 00:08:14 That's Melbourne city football clubs say EO, Brad Rouse. And it pays to know a bit of background at this point. You say, even back in 2009, when the club was first founded, it had its heart in the right place. Hence its name Melbourne hot, a great committed to social impact programs to empower people to lead better lives today. The club is part of a global revolution using the spirit of soccer to promote employment, social inclusion, and physical activity, fun friendship, and football over rolled into one. It comes under the banner of the CT football group. The world's leading private owner and operator of football clubs across three continents that includes Manchester city, New York city. And of course, Melbourne city H group has pledged to address social issues through sport in their city, in the community. Charity originally started by Manchester city more than 30 years ago.
Speaker 4 00:09:10 One of the key pillars for them was how we engaged with the community. So not only did they want to see how we play and get results on the pitch or don't think we're going too well at the time on the pitch. And also how we run the club in terms of business operations and finances and, you know, being fiscally responsible. But the third part was that community side of things and how, how much we're doing in the community. And as Melbourne heart, as I said, that was the founding club. The two main pillars of our brand were beautiful football and really engaged community and presence. And so we were very strong in that space. What our biggest concern was when Manchester came and took over was we were very worried that the thousands of hours and outreach we'd done in the community, um, we were worried that they might try and pair that back, but it was actually the perfect pairing because, um, it was incredibly important for Manchester city. So when they took over our community program shut down, it actually went the other way. I had a Haven for the resource for us to invest further and, and grow, grow it larger than ever before
Speaker 1 00:10:10 Today. Melbourne city football club through its charitable arm city in the community run a number of social impact programs, including several with MatchWorks among them city start combining job training and community migrant support with football training sessions for male job seekers, city, sisters, uh, program uniting football and job skills for unemployed women and underemployed female job seekers, CT pathways for young people with disability or living with mental illness. And of course, city at work, a fun fitness program with employability training for people like Josh Marshall, for one, he was impressed, particularly with how sport had given him a new confidence to kick his employment goals.
Speaker 2 00:10:53 Yeah, I think with sport, when you start with sort of first meet everyone in sport, you're on a, you're on a level playing field, you turn up and you meet everyone and you're on the same field. Yeah. And you're wanting to work together and you've got a common enjoyment. You've clearly got something in common right away. And I think that brings, that brings a lot of people together from all sorts of different backgrounds. And yeah, I think that that really helps sort of bring a lot of people together.
Speaker 1 00:11:16 What do you think you got out of the program in terms of the job skills aspect?
Speaker 2 00:11:22 Well, I think I was very fortunate that I think the mock interview is a Massey one. I think a lot of the time you turn out for a job interview and you get one sort of half an hour and then it's a half an hour to change the law for right now. There's a lot of pressure on that. So it's probably not something you get very often and get to practice. I think the things like learning about the various job skills and the things that employers are looking for and things like cover letters and resumes, I think that was all really, really helpful information. And then as well as to being able to get out and do some sport in that program as well, I think it was a really good combination things to sort of make it a sort of really holistic program
Speaker 1 00:11:57 In winter 2019, the city at work program over Josh spied, the job of his dreams on LinkedIn community competitions and special projects administrator with cricket Tasmania in Devonport, if he was successful, he'd be going home. Fortunately MatchWorks was still there committed to helping him boost his chances of being a successful applicant, Q Dave Devlin, and a well-crafted cover letter.
Speaker 3 00:12:24 We said that Josh pride himself and his positive attitude, his energy, his strong work ethic and ability to engage positively with others that he always enjoys and works well in team environments. And that he had a strong interest and passionate for sports and has had applied himself for 10 years and had volunteered in admin and coaching roles, as well as having studied sport himself. Either the Josh believes that is vital, that we make sporting opportunities easily accessible to the whole community because that was part of the job.
Speaker 1 00:12:53 So did Josh get the job? Well, we'll reveal that a bit later in the podcast for now. It's time to mate, another man with connections to Melbourne city football club. And MatchWorks a champion in his own right? Blake Henderson.
Speaker 5 00:13:07 My name is Blake Anderson from Nevada city football club. I am the events and operations assistant at the club. I helped run match days, school clinics, and a whole bunch of stuff. So I do call, so my nickname is Blakey. One of the plays started calling me that, um, when I was in the facility as well, and it just stuck with other players and stuck with the staff members, the fans somehow got a hold of it and they started calling me Blakey as well. I definitely live in my drain brother. That's what I've always wanted to do. Um, and it's like, I wake up on a match day going, I'm going to church faithfully. I'm not, I'm not going to work. I'm going to church
Speaker 1 00:13:52 Just as Josh Marshall would play backyard battles with his siblings in Devonport Tasmania. So two would Blake Henderson, but his passion was soccer. And he played in Melbourne with younger brothers, Callum and Jordan, but in 2010 Blake's life took a devastating turn on the aim of Australia day after preseason training with reserves at Werribee city football club, his world was turned upside down.
Speaker 5 00:14:21 <inaudible> villain fine. Nothing was going on. And I started in my dinner when I got home and I just got this pumping headache. So I'm like, uh, I must've not I've ever done it. I haven't hydrated enough. Um, tell my mum and dad, they said, look, drink some water. I have this icy pal get hydrated, go sleep. You'll be fine. Um, so I took some Panadol as well, figuring that will help. And it just turned out that my eyes wanted to jump out of my head. Um, I was throwing up on the way to the hospital. And, um, once I said not when it gets you to Royal Melbourne, we knew something was serious
Speaker 1 00:15:01 With bleeding on the brine. Blake underwent emergency surgery for a brain tumor, three lifesaving operations followed in just two weeks for the teenager who also leaves with Asperger's syndrome, a developmental disorder affecting social and communication skills.
Speaker 5 00:15:18 I wasn't really aware a hundred percent what was going on because I got friendly straight into surgery, phone intended CGI. So when all I caught after that, the first thing I said to mum and I was happy Australia day, and then can we have a barbecue still or not? And that was my main priority, but it wasn't until that I said, now, I don't think you'll be coming home tonight. I started to write down a little bit and basically I have fought my life. My life was going to be so much different. My mom's one of those people who waves about everything. And my main focus was trying to calm her down. I'm a statical, but I'm trying to make sure mum was all right. And she knew I was in a sad place in Sanford. My dad
Speaker 1 00:16:05 Blake says reality heat at mom Michelle's birthday party. Later that year, when he realized his dreams of playing professional soca, where,
Speaker 5 00:16:14 And I was coming out to mom's birthday, I started right there and I knew our shit and I going to make it to my month birthday. Am I not? I was basically told by the neurosurgeon. Now you're getting hit in the head, no running, no getting your blood pressure up. Cause we don't know if this is going to bleed again, turn it around and say, Hey, look, I'm gonna let you play again, but you can't play high standard competitive four times all week training. And again, it's not going to happen. And my full process was well, if you're not going to let me play at my standard that I thought I was at. What's the point.
Speaker 1 00:16:50 Um, but not out within a year of surgery. Blake had returned to studies at SEDA college, an independent senior secondary school in Melbourne. Within three years, he had completed a diploma in sports development with Seder affiliated with the then Melbourne hot in 2010, Blake took up a volunteering role with the club. He'd not just found a new employer. He'd found a new home
Speaker 5 00:17:16 Every match day as well from a vaping arms. I wasn't told no, you can't. No, you can't. No you can't. It was Blake. We need you to play. We need you to Blake. We need you. And I felt like I was part of the club. I wasn't some 18 year old, 19 year old from Cedar who they have to bring in just to fill positions. And they literally said, this is what you do. This is your little baby. You take it, you run with it.
Speaker 4 00:17:44 Passionate, fun, sincere, honest, hardness leave. Just full of integrity. He's you know, is the most honest to goodness, young guy, extremely passionate and just wants to give it a chance and we'll take it with open arms and try and over deliver and over perform. He's obviously fantastic attitude. Is it? That's what it comes down to, I think is just what a wonderful attitude
Speaker 1 00:18:09 Brad RAs has watched on with pride as Blakey has gone from a dedicated volunteer to a much loved employee at Melbourne city, helping run match days at award-winning Amy Park stadium, even traveling on a wide trips to Adelaide, Wellington and Perth. Oh, and that moment when Blake found out he had a formal job in 2016, well, it was like Hayde kicked a winning goal with just minutes to spare.
Speaker 5 00:18:34 I don't know what day it was, but mum was home and I was just on my computer. Like I'm usually am when I'm not doing much in the fire rain. I was talking to him, talking to him and then I started jumping up and down after we spiked in mum, which we had to grab me and say, what's going on? Why are you so high for you're not usually like this sad, this happened. What's her. I don't, I'm getting paid to work for work for Melbourne city. I'm getting paid to work from the subsidy. I'm going to pay to work for another city. I just repeated that and she didn't believe me first. And I said, no, I I'm starting this week. I'm going out there. I needed to give me lifts. Cause I wasn't on my phone. I sit and shit. And she was like, if you're pulling my change, you're going to be a bit travel to the point where we were still talking about it. My boss sent me, he sent me the message, confirming the data now seriously, seriously. Look at this. Look at this. I'm getting paid to work for university
Speaker 1 00:19:35 Again. MatchWorks was there to help support Melbourne city. As Blake transitioned into his new role as a cloud partner, since 2012, the employment providers offer a range of tailored services to confidently orientate employees with disability into a new job for making sure workplaces are accessible and employees supported by team members to ensuring access to programs like worker ceased MatchWorks is committed to helping build diverse workforces that allow people to perform at their best. The Melbourne city CEO, Brad RAs. It's not just about the services MatchWorks offer. It's also about a meeting of minds. A shared knowledge of the valley employees with disability injury or health condition can bring to business.
Speaker 4 00:20:22 I didn't know what it was at the time, but we thought some of the things we're doing in the community and some of the things they are doing, uh, particularly in that employment space, what you thought we need to get our respective teams together and brainstorm this to work out. And because there could be something and one of those situations where one plus one equals three. So by doing something together, we actually might get, um, better outcomes for both parties. And it was one of those examples. We don't have any other partners. Like it's far more about them, social community outcomes than commercial outcomes. And it's been a fantastic success. You don't get a better Proofpoint than, than Blake in terms of such a win-win. So if you look at it, the opportunity for someone like Blakey, who may have found a tough to get good work, going through the normal channels for, for a lot of organizations out there, what you get when you employ someone like Blakey is someone the most unbridled enthusiasm, the best, most positive outlook who's willing to do absolutely anything and will say yes to anything and breweries where they such an incredible personality and positive vibe throughout the place.
Speaker 4 00:21:27 What he does for us in return is the unintended benefit. I think that organizations need to be aware of. That sounds someone like Blakey is absolutely fantastic. And if you want, if you want to incredible culture, you know, someone like Blackie,
Speaker 1 00:21:41 Like tell me what working at Melbourne city means to you.
Speaker 5 00:21:45 Well, in the middle of the city means I'm a part of something big there about not what's happening under park. They're about what's happening offered as well. And I'm grateful to be a part of that. And I reckon that's what a football clubs should be about. It should be about the fence should be about the community that's around and I'm a guide to be a part of it. And that's what it means so much to me. I believe that this club could be the way of the future of the sporting clubs. That's why I'm so passionate to be involved with it.
Speaker 1 00:22:15 And how does working for them make you feel
Speaker 5 00:22:18 Is static? Like I said, lack on the part of something big in facsimile, like a drink come to that I wanted, I'm not just some other person they're brought in to fill a role. I'm actually there to be a part of something big
Speaker 1 00:22:36 You've been described as the heart and soul of the club. Why is that? Do you think,
Speaker 5 00:22:42 To be honest, I don't see myself as that. I see myself as a part of the heart and soul of the club, not the heart and soul, but for, from what I've seen from the employee's point of view is the reaction I got after the final inserted, the grand final. And I think that's why everyone thinks
Speaker 1 00:23:05 What's this. I hear about a Blakey chant from the fence. Is that true? What's that
Speaker 5 00:23:10 Every time I walk, like if we got a halftime show in front of him and I've got a step behind in the garbage, because I'll go kick the balls back out by his blankie bag and yeah, just stark and nobody, every mash. I hear that. Or it's we love you Blakey because I brought their drums yet. So
Speaker 1 00:23:31 How does the way love you Blakey one guy.
Speaker 5 00:23:34 We love your Blakey. We do. We love your Blakey. We do. We love your Blakey. We do. Oh, Blakey. We love you.
Speaker 1 00:23:44 That's good. And how does it make you feel when you hear that? What do you think when they do that in the crowd?
Speaker 5 00:23:51 Oh, I, I, I'm a humble guy and when I turn, turn up to games, I try to get them to focus on the place. Cause that's who they're here to see. They're not here to see some, like printing out there, their flour, sipped, banners, their drums. They hate to see the players. And I feel happy that I got my chair, but at the same time, I would prefer if they took place because that's who they, they're here to see. And I get shit sometimes from the <inaudible> and I'm trying to get them some the game.
Speaker 1 00:24:27 So it's a bit embarrassing. You're a bit shy
Speaker 5 00:24:30 A little bit, bit at the same time. I love it because my parents just got my mum, absolutely love.
Speaker 4 00:24:36 You know, you just need to go and spend a bit of time with Blakey and realized a lot of the other things are just peripheral. That don't really matter the politics and all those sorts of things. You know, it just brings everyone back to its core of we're just, you know, it humanizes everything. I think that's a wonderful attribute and trait that, uh, Blakey brings to the table.
Speaker 1 00:24:56 Why do you think that fans resonate with him so much? Okay.
Speaker 4 00:24:59 He's passion, um, is incredibly passionate. He truly loves the club. He's excitement, enthusiasm, and that he displays out what Lee, um, I really infectious and, and uh, if some of the fans might be more conservative in their feeling at the inside, he's certainly doing it on the outside. He's jumping for joy. And I also realize, you know, he is what he is. He's, he's not overly complicated. He's got no agendas. He is pure, simple unadulterated joy that football brings him and people love and respect that of him.
Speaker 1 00:25:34 And I believe he had a go at commentating a game when, uh, back when you were Melbourne heart, how is that?
Speaker 4 00:25:40 Yeah, fantastic. Again, it humanizes, it brings it back down to it's someone who's extremely passionate and extremely knowledgeable. Let me tell you he's knowledgeable. He knows everything about every player and every, uh, how they're performing and all those sorts of things. So not mistaking. He actually knows the game and knows the club, but he knows the opposition. So he's well placed to, to earn the right to commentate. But without any formal training, what you get is a far greater sense of passion than perhaps you get from a normal commentary time.
Speaker 6 00:26:16 <inaudible> to the game, fan side, unlike in the same boat, 10 time Melbourne support joined via victory, supporting the Coventry builds place, introduced Suffolk
Speaker 7 00:26:33 I'm Alan Harris or Melbourne victory supporter. We're here. We're not Fox sports. We're not SPS, but we are the fans. And that's what really counts.
Speaker 5 00:26:42 He want to jump at the opportunity and I'm like, it's something I wanted to say how it was. And I'm glad I got that opportunity to say how compensating is. And I'm grateful for glee for giving me that. So it was a good night. I had some fun. Um, but I did miss me miss beam pitch side. So I'm in hill. He was in the next room, came up and said there was points of the brokers that we had to turn out. Might say, of course you were there. And I could hear like, oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 00:27:24 Now, Blake, there was an even bigger day for you in June, 2021 when Melbourne city won the elite grand final to claim their first ever Australian championship. Yep. Talk me through that.
Speaker 5 00:27:36 The nerves kicked in. When I walked into the stadium to make sure the equipment was ready for the test that the person sitting in the national Anthem was practicing. And this is that if I hit, oh shit, here we go. Excuse my language. And yeah, after that final whistle, I can't dare. I was cough for 10 minutes, but until we moved, I'd try and fit. That's when I started going, like my body started saying, we've actually done it. We've actually done it to this day. I watched the guy and I nearly have a tear when that fairy gold guys in, again, it meant everything. Basically.
Speaker 1 00:28:16 What did you do as everyone was celebrating there, as you realized that you guys had one, who did you go and see in the crowd?
Speaker 5 00:28:24 The first people I, I went and hug my parents and literally as soon as I saw my mom, I brought it down and there's a couple of photos that I've got sent from my mate, who I invited to the game. And it's just, I cry every time I said, I'm thankful for my parents would have sacrificed so much for me.
Speaker 1 00:28:44 There was a special moment with the captain Scott Jamieson to
Speaker 5 00:28:47 That was celebrating where the, the active and I stood to the side because I'm like, I don't want to get any shots here. It's about the players about the active, I'm going to stand at the side. And he, um, he celebrated, I was one of my co-workers, um, where's Blake and pointed to me and basically ran over. I felt like it was going to tackle to me the grass. I was still my grant. And, um, we had a conversation. I said, you, you finally did it, mate. You finally did it. You guys know, we fi we finally did it. We finally did it. And me and Scott, like, I'm going to treasure his friendship forever. And he literally said, I'm going to put this metal on you. I said, no, mate, look, you've, you've had five grand finals. This is first win. Keep it on that. I don't want it. Like I said, there'll be probably an avatar where I can get my hands on one bit. You have this one, you have this one. And I said, guys, see Youngstown.
Speaker 1 00:29:47 It was a similar story for Brad RAs on the big day, Melbourne city baiting CDFC three, one to claim their historic first title and finished two points clear of their rivals at the top of the regular season table to win the premiers plight.
Speaker 4 00:30:03 There was that many things going on. As you can imagine, when you've just won. Suddenly I was aware, sort of looking straight ahead to my left. There was some something moving, running towards me. And I looked pivoted in my head to the left and it was, it was black. He was like, uh, a love movie running slow motion towards me. And we went away, loosely run at each other. And, uh, and, um, just spontaneously, as I said before, there was that much joy from both of us. We just hugged him. You know, we shared a few quiet words of how good is this and how amazing it and enjoy it. And, um, it was an incredible moment, you know, that's what I said before. They're the special, what makes it so special for me when you win is for the people who've been part of the journey with you for a long time.
Speaker 1 00:30:56 And so what about Josh Marshall from the beginning of our podcast? Did he also get his dream job in the sports arena? Well, in a word, no, at least not initially.
Speaker 2 00:31:07 Yeah. Yeah. So initially I got a, a rejection email. Um, I'd actually just, it was sort of first day that I just started another employment skills course as well. So I had received a rejection email, which are sort of used to receiving at that stage, but it was a bit, it was pretty flattening, especially when it was a, it was a job that was local to my, to the hometown I grew up in. I was very confident. I probably had a strong application and then to get that was really, really disappointing and disheartening.
Speaker 1 00:31:33 But two weeks later, a surprise text from an old mate, the pair had played cricket together, growing up in Devonport. Now he worked for cricket Tasmania and he had some exciting news.
Speaker 2 00:31:45 And then you sort of two weeks later you sent me a message and said, oh, you got 10 minutes to chat. And I sort of thought, oh yeah, I thought he might be following up regarding my application because when you HLS also these would be good just to get some information. And then he sort of said, oh, he asked the question if you're still interested in that job. And I say, yeah, I'm very much still interested in the job.
Speaker 1 00:32:03 The next few days were a whirlwind formal interviews on the phone with officials from cricket Tasmania followed by an anxious white, then a phone call
Speaker 2 00:32:13 To get the rejection letter. And then finally find out that I was successful was, yeah, it was an awesome feeling. And then as soon as I got off the phone with Alex, I rang mom and then arraigned dad and Wrangler brother. I just wanted to shout from the rooftops. It was an awesome feeling. I was living in a share house at the time with a couple of my friends and they were, they were both at work at the time. So it was, it was a strange feeling to sort of be at home. And I wanted us to tell everyone, but, um, so I just had to start reading paper that went through my whole phone book, got reconciled. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:32:39 With cricket Tasmania, wanting Josh to start straight away. It was another frantic rush to get back to Devonport again. MatchWorks was there to help this time with his airfare back home, all part of the service by the employment provider.
Speaker 3 00:32:54 It's not just a job. And then goodbye with MatchWorks. We leave the door open for further ongoing support. It's part of what we do quite often. We'll buy people, interview clothes, help them out. Uh, after I started the job with my key cards, clothes, petrol vouchers, those sorts of things as part of postponements support and from memory, what we actually do for Josh, because he's gone, he had to get, get back to Tasmania funds. Weren't, weren't fantastic for him. So we actually paid for his airline tickets and I believe we actually bought him a nice pair of current remove that winter Smiths, but nice pair of shoes as well. So they're the sorts of things that they actually do. And for me play that part in Josh and his dream job actually gives him a great job satisfaction as well
Speaker 1 00:33:36 As the saying goes, success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. And Josh Marshall is living proof of that from backyard battles to actually working at an administrative level with cricket Tasmania, he's the first to admit he's thrilled to be bringing a sport. He loves to the masses. Josh, how would you finish this sentence? Work allows me to
Speaker 2 00:34:06 The work will ask me to fulfill a passion that I have in our love community sport, especially community cricket. As I said, I've grown up around it. My whole life have been heavily involved in community cricket clubs, whether it's being scoring, doing the canapes, uh, on committees, all that sort of thing. And so I've grown up around it my whole entire life, and now to actually be able to fulfill a passion of working in community sport and sort of, uh, working with our community associations now sort of run cricket competitions and, and try and better cricket. The sport that I love so much is it's just an awesome feeling.
Speaker 1 00:34:41 How has work affected you in unexpected ways?
Speaker 2 00:34:45 Uh, Oregon has given me more confidence in general. It's probably, it may be a little bit more of an at person having to go out and meet sort of stakeholders and people from all around, uh, Tasmania. It's probably made me more outgoing and sort of have to get used to going to situations be comfortable, being uncomfortable is what that's sort of the thing that cricket Tasmania say. So I think it, it makes me more comfortable in situations that I am uncomfortable in obviously financially it's been a massive help as well, um, to be able to buy a car and trying to save up for a house deposit at the minute. Um, I think that's, that's another massive plus and it's, it's building a resume as well, and I believe
Speaker 1 00:35:23 It's been great to get back to Melbourne on occasion to see your mates from uni.
Speaker 2 00:35:28 Yeah. Yeah. That's been really, really awesome. It's probably been out of treat them a little bit more who are still living sort of the university student life being able to get back there and, and look after those friends. And
Speaker 1 00:35:37 So are the Schatz on you? Yeah, they
Speaker 2 00:35:39 Always are. Yeah. They look at first, she out of the bar is always my shout and then it won't normally normally second or third yet as well. So, um, that's sort of how it works now. Dave,
Speaker 1 00:35:50 How would you describe Josh's story?
Speaker 3 00:35:52 I actually think it's amazing to be honest, that that always things actually happened for him. There was a lot of interconnectedness with Josh's story, the way I look at it, but for me, it's just a fantastic achievement for Josh and I, I think it really deserves it. It's a cracking young guy and for him to get a job at that level, cricket Tasmania, you know, that's one level below, you know, bay, Australian cricket board. So he's operating in a real high level organization is actually retiring that job for two years now, which I think is fantastic as well. Cause I had some worries during COVID for him. Um, and also I said, he's a cracking young black Morpheus. Some a lot with Josh is that it's, it may take them two to three years to actually get that opportunity. You know, they might have to keep applying, you know, be working, um, in hospitality, doing other jobs to actually build their skill base and just wait for that, that opportunity to open up. So for me, I just think it's, it's amazing has turned out. I actually think it's a bit of a fairy tale story for Josh
Speaker 1 00:37:04 And impressive and inspirational when not only for Josh Marshall, but Blake Henderson, too young job seekers who crossed the finish line victorious to achieve their dreams, find a sense of belonging and give hope to others on their employment journey. You've been listening to breaking barriers and new podcast production from MatchWorks Australia's trusted employment specialists and with 140 sites across Australia, whether you're looking for a job or looking for staff match works quite simply brings people together. If you've found value in this episode, subscribe and share. So we can keep telling these inspiring stories and for more on MatchWorks log on to matchworks.com.edu forward slash breaking barriers. I'm not Jones. Thanks so much for listening.
