Less than six months ago Michael Ellis was facing an uncertain future with little prospect of employment, now he’s on his way to a career in landscape gardening thanks to local company Plant-EM.
Michael, affectionately known as Magic Mick to his colleagues, was born with Ushers Syndrome which results in hearing loss and progressive vision impairment. He also suffers from Arnold Chiari Malformation which can lead to headaches, muscle weakness and paralysis.
His condition has meant he’s unable to get a licence despite being a passionate ‘Ford Fan’ and it has also hindered his prospects of getting a job and keeping it.
But what he lacks in hearing and sight he makes up for with his sense of humour, always up for a joke with his onsite mentors but most importantly ready and willing to learn and give anything a go.
“I had a traineeship as a groundsman before while I was at school and I was employed for eight years but because of my disability I was unable to continue the job,” Mick said.
“I like working at Plant-EM because I get to learn new things like irrigation, mowing, planting – a bit of everything.
“I like working with Ruth (Team Leader) she’s always making jokes and the Boss is a pretty good bloke too,” Mick laughs.
Plant-EM Director William Crabb said his team worked under the motto of ‘Changing Lives with Gardens’ and helping Mick realise a career in landscaping is just one way they were able to achieve that.
“When Mick came to us he was the type of person who would say ‘I can’t do that’ probably because he had been told he couldn’t for so long that he actually started to believe it,” Mr Crabb said.
“But we would say ‘Yes you can and we’ll show you how’.
“In just a few months he’s gone from possessing a basic shovel skill to having the ability to assist with planting, irrigation and maintenance tasks unsupervised and being a respected member of our crew.
“But it’s been the massive boost to his confidence that has been the most noticeable and rewarding part of having him at Plant-EM, he’s now ready to take on any challenge we throw at him.”
Plant-EM worked in partnership with Mylestones Employment which supports people with barriers to find a job that’s right for them and works with businesses of all sizes to build inclusive workplaces.