Luke scales new heights at Summerland Farm

Luke Rosolen has become the first Supported Employee at Summerland Farm to achieve the updated version of a forklift license, enabling him to take on new jobs and more responsibilities on the farm.

The 25-year-old, who has been working in the horticultural team at the farm for the last five years, spent four months practicing skills and studying to gain this nationally recognised qualification.

Luke said: The hardest part was probably the theory,

Now I can now help with jobs like moving macadamia bins around in the de-husking shed.

Check out Luke in action:

Supervisor Brodie Bottomley said Luke is paving the way for fellow team members to gain their forklift license.

Six of Luke’s workmates also studied to get their forklift license, but they weren’t able to get there this time around, Brodie said.

We’ll all support them to keep practicing and studying, so they can get there, too.

Brodie explained that, due to workplace incidents involving forklifts, gaining a license has become much more involved, in the last eight years.

Now you have to pass the theory and the practical assessments with 100% accuracy, whereas years before it was a fair bit easier, he said.

It makes a lot of sense from a safety perspective. We want to make sure all our Supported Employees who want this qualification are ready to take on the extra responsibility.

Summerland Farm offers Supported Employees a range of training and qualifications, including chainsaw license, chemical certificate, white card and EWPA yellow cards. The Farm is looking to add Working at Heights and Working in Confined Spaces qualifications in the coming months.