Smooth sailing for Kendrick

Image: Kendrick at work at Carroll Tyres. 

Although it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, HSO Tasha has formed a good relationship with both Kendrick and Carroll Tyres Manager Rob Kitzleman through post placement support worksite visits.

“Rob has been fully accommodating and really helped Kendrick maintain the job,” 

Kendrick still manages leg pain from an earlier injury, but is not letting anything get in his way. “I separated my tibia and fibula from doing this job ages ago. Kicking tyre beads made it fragile, and then I was playing soccer with my little boy and it popped out.”

Trang helped source a suitable stool to assist Kendrick’s posture and positioning when completing tasks.

“The aim of the game is to make his job smooth and easy with as little resistance on the body as possible.”

Since gaining employment, Tasha says Kendrick has become increasingly independent and accountable for his own actions. “He’s progressed well for a 26 year old guy without much other support. If I was to attribute any sort of success, I’d attribute it to him. He did this on his own; this is all internal motivation for him,” Tasha said.

For Kendrick, who has his first daughter on the way in less than two months, the choice was clear. “I didn’t have any other option, I had to get it together,” he said.

Manager Rob has nothing but praise for Kendrick’s work. “He tells me I’m doing a good job. And to me, I know it doesn’t mean much to some people, but I like to hear it,” Kendrick said. With Rob’s help, Kendrick was able to gain his licence by practicing manual driving in the company car. “I completely ground the gearbox out of it in the first week,” he said.

But Kendrick’s hard work paid off, with his new job securing him a car, perfect for his growing family. Tasha says Kendrick has matured beyond his years in the short time he’s worked with Carroll Tyres.

“He’s part of the team dynamic now, and is standing up for himself.”

Kendrick enjoys working at Carroll Tyres so much he called the MAX Inala team to let them know there was a job vacancy; a chance for someone else to change their life the same way he has.