Since mid-2017 farmers across NSW have been struggling through an ongoing drought.
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Crops died, the price of cattle feed increased, water supplies were dire, farm hands were laid off work and many farmers were faced with hard decisions.
For 63-year-old Dubbo farmer of more than five decades, John Marshall, the trying times meant he would be forced to consider a change of career or be left with no job.
Mr Marshall had been working on a cattle farm in the Dubbo region when the effects of the drought began to loom over the Central West and with no time at all, the farm went from thriving to barely surviving.
"I had been working for a friend of mine on his property, which went from running 600 cows to basically none," Mr Marshall said.
"As the land kept drying up from the drought, the work kept drying up for me.
"I knew my time working on the land was coming to an end."
Mr Marshall had no prior job experience, he had never attended an interview or written a resume and he had no other formal qualifications as he had been a farmer his entire life, but no matter how big of a hill he faced, Mr Marshall was determined to climb it.
"I applied for several jobs but it didn't look like I was going to get an interview for any of them," he said.
"I knew I needed better qualifications, so my wife did a bit of research and came across VERTO's Western College training services."
Mr Marshall said while it was 'daunting at first' reaching out to VERTO for assistance, it proved to be 'a great' decision, and one that would end up being life-changing for Mr Marshall.
VERTO's assistance enabled Mr Marshall to obtain government funding to complete the Forklift, White Card, Traffic Control, and First Aid courses for free over a two-week period.
These hands-on short courses were the catalyst for Mr Marshall then landing a role as a plant operator at Dubbo Regional Council.
"It had been a long while since I had sat in a classroom. But VERTO's training helped me to get an interview, and look where I am now."
Dubbo VERTO CEO, Ron Maxwell said Mr Marshall is a 'wonderful example' that it is 'never too late to reskill' or 'repurpose' a new career through vocational education and training.
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Taylor Dodge
I have six years of experience as a Journalist with Australian Community Media covering an array of topics, with a key focus on breaking news and crime and a passion for people.
E: taylor.dodge@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
