This case study explores the impact of WFCD’s intervention to employ local job seekers such as Glenn Knox, and the ongoing, wrap-around support we have provided to keep him employed in the field and city he loves. It outlines how the interventions of WFCD have improved Glenn’s quality of life, benefited the local economy, and aided the NDH contractors to meet their workforce needs.

Glenn was known to John, our permanently seconded MSD work broker because of his time on the Job Seeker benefit. He stayed on MSD’s Job Seeker benefit until finding work with Southbase in late 2023. He worked for Southbase through a Central Otago based labour hire firm called Remarkable People. Glenn first made contact with WFCD during this time when he approached us asking for help with his timesheets. During his employment at Southbase, he was assigned to a project with Hall Brothers, a local a haulage firm. This complicated his reporting back to Remarkable People. Over this period, WFCD helped him fill out his time sheets and scan them through to Remarkable People. This routine continued until his time at Southbase and Hall Brothers ended in October 2023. In this time, we built a positive relationship with Glenn.

Glenn’s brief time on the Outpatients site, however, had him hooked, and he knew he wanted to find work on the hospital build. Glenn stated that, “Working there made me want to come back to work on this site.” To increase his chance of achieving this, mutual effort from Glenn and WFCD to keep regular contact meant that Glenn stayed at the top of our candidates list for work on site. Glenn remarked that, “We kept contact regularly to make sure I was pushing myself forward and to make sure I was top of their books for any jobs on site. It’s been nice being so connected so I get to see the build from start to finish in one way or another.”

Over this period of time, WFCD contacted Glenn with various job offers, but he made it clear that he was not interested in labour hire work with no stability and that he would wait for a long-term contract. To increase his employability in the trades, John organised MSD funded EWP training for Glenn.

It was at this point that WFCD decided to put Glenn in contact with a local labour hire firm with whom we have developed a closer relationship, Stellar. Stellar almost immediately found Glenn work in October2024. This work unfortunately only lasted for a month. He was offered more long-term positions in the wider region, but Glenn expressed a desire to remain in Dunedin. Glenn has praised Stellar for being, “Really supportive all round, especially when I’m not too sure what’s going on. They really made the effort to suit my goals and skills.”

Regards Stellar’s working with Glenn, Stellar said that they, “Have been proud to offer ongoing support to Glenn, focusing on securing a sustainable placement to reflect his carpentry skills…His dedication, communication and collaborative spirit have made him a valuable candidate of the Stellar team. He approaches challenges with a positive mindset and is always open to feedback and new ideas, making the process of working together both effective and rewarding.”

In November 2024, the Outpatients Project Manager for Alpha Interiors reached out to WFCD asking for two labourers to start work the following week. From our previous contact with Glenn, he was top of our list of recommendations. By the following day, Glenn was selected as one of two labourers set to work under Stellar on the hospital build for the next 18months. Glenn has said that he is enjoying his time at Alpha so far. “The guys are a good laugh, got me feeling like part of the group pretty quick. Leon is good to work for too, pretty laid-back sort of guy, easy to talk to.” Glenn’s role at Alpha is a General Labourer, although Glenn explained that his role includes similar tasks to a Hammer hand, “Carrying gib around to keep the place clean. But it’s not just that, I’ve learned new skills as well. So, cutting gib, screwing it in, stuff like that.” With regard to Alpha’s comments about Glenn, the Project Manager said that he is, “A really good worker. Leaders in our group have nothing but good feedback. He started as a labourer but can now use tools to complete works with little assistance.” It is a positive development that Leon plans to, “Work with him further and increase his skill set.”

Glenn has credited WFCD as a major part of helping him get to his current stage in employment. WFCD, our permanently seconded MSD Work broker and our connections at Stellar have supported him in any way that he has expressed need and helped him into a stable position in his preferred sector.

Glenn stated that, “At the end of the day, they’ve taught me that it helps to be driven... I was on Jobseekers for quite some time before and then after I worked at Southbase... They’ve been really onto it the whole time and helped with whatever I asked for, finding employment and all the other stuff that goes with that.”

The Alpha Project Manager has also praised WFCD for being prompt and accessible with their services and having motivations in the right place. He said WFCD is, “Very constructive and helpful compared to what we are used to as a company on high profile projects. I think what the team is doing in promoting local workers is refreshing.”

WFCD will continue to support Glenn to grow and thrive as needs arrive and will continue to foster their relationship with Alpha and the many other contractors on site to meet their workforce needs with local jobseekers. This will help achieve our vision of growing local skills and supporting those on the Job Seeker’s benefit into employment with a pathway to professional development and success.