Dallas’ story
Dallas Starr loves going to work.
Tumbarumba local Dallas Starr is the newest employee of Brennan’s Earthmoving. He recently celebrated 3 months in his position where he is employed as a Workshop Assistant.
One year ago, life was very different for Dallas who has an intellectual disability and receives support from his mother, Gillian for everyday life.
With a desire to contribute to the community and find his own purpose in life, Dallas was volunteering his time doing gardening and maintenance work around town. However he still wanted more, and as the years went on it became increasingly important for Dallas to be able to support himself financially.
In late 2018, Dallas was connected with Sureway Employment Consultant Wendy Heath under the Australian Government’s Disability Employment Services initiative, and together the two were inspired to turn Dallas’ love for the outdoors into a career.
“From the moment I met Dallas, I could tell that he was a very well-mannered, capable and employable young man.” Mrs Heath said.
“He was doing voluntary work around the community which showed me that he had the drive and motivation, great work habits and ethics to turn his passion into employment.”
With the support of Mrs Heath, Dallas confidently approached businesses seeking employment opportunities, and Mrs Heath said that it wasn’t long before Dannye Brennan at Brennan’s Earthmoving answered the call.
Mrs Heath made a special trip to Tumbarumba this day as “Interviews can be daunting for anyone, Gillian and I made sure he was prepped and ready to put his best foot forward.”
Mr Brennan was very accommodating, following the interview, Dallas was offered employment on the spot.
“The look on this young fella’s face was absolutely priceless!” Mrs Heath said, “It was certainly a very rewarding achievement for us all.”
“Brennan’s have been fantastic, and as a local business they were wrapped to be able to provide an opportunity for Dallas where they can create a job role that benefits them all.” she said.
“I am sure that in years to come this will be my most memorable moment for me working at Sureway.” Mrs Heath said.
Finding employment has been a dream come true for Dallas and his mum Gillian, with Mrs Heath saying that the benefits of moving Dallas into employment certainly flow onto his extended networks.
“When you employ someone with a disability, it’s not just the financial benefits for the individual, but the peace of mind for their family members that their son has a purpose and is achieving the best in life, as they should be able to.”
“It is also a fact that having an employee with a disability in the workplace often lifts team morale and comradery” she said.
