New recruits at MaxiTRANS

ROAD transport manufacturer, MaxiTRANS, has welcomed new recruits to its workforce through a partnership with disability employment service provider AXIS Employment.

Catherine O’Donnell is one of two new workers in the organisation and said she’s been learning on the job.

“I’m in the electrician, plumbing area where I hook up wiring to trailer lights and airbrakes,” she said.

AXIS Employment’s Brendan Thompson said Ms O’Donnell was identified as a strong candidate to help fill MaxiTRANS’ labour and skills shortage.

“The openness of MaxiTRANS and the way they’ve gone about lodging and being accepting of some of our clients’ barriers to employment and wanting to give our guys and girls a chance, it’s been pleasing from our side and we hope we can continue to work in this space,” he said.

“We cater for people from their last year of school right through to retirement age with any barriers to employment, whether it’s reading and writing through to mental health.”

While Ms O’Donnell said the new role was “a bit different” to her previous work with cars, her supervisor Jason Beckerleg said she was already excelling.

“Cathy’s fit really well into our team. She’s kicking goals, I can say that,” he said.

MaxiTRANS continuous improvement team leader in industrial engineering, Chris Liston, said Ms O’Donnell was also joining a growing number of women in the company’s 350-strong workforce.

“There’s an increasing number of females in the system, that’s apprentice painters, welders and a lot of labourer helpers,” he said.