If you’re in the South Brisbane area and looking for a cozy yet classy place to stay, you can look no further than Mercure Brisbane Garden City. Located in the heart of South Brisbane and on the doorstep of Westfield Garden City Shopping Centre, the Mercure Brisbane Garden City hotel offers a warm and personal experience from check-in till check-out.
Not only are they a great spot to kick back, but Mercure Brisbane Garden City also makes diversity and inclusion a part of its very ethos. For some time, Mercure Brisbane Garden City has worked alongside EPIC Assist in sourcing employees to provide unique employment opportunities to people with disability.
Enter Zack, who began his journey with EPIC as an Eligible School Leaver (ESL). In his regular meetings with his EPIC Consultant, Zack was encouraged to explore his potential and identify his career aspirations. Realising a passion for food service and with a clear goal in mind, Zack set his sights on working in Aged Care as a kitchenhand.
Zack embarked on a career journey full of persistence and resilience. He applied for numerous jobs and attended multiple interviews in this time, not letting any setback effect his enthusiasm or confidence. It wasn’t long before this relentlessly positive attitude would pay off!
Zack’s “suite” career opportunity at Mercure Brisbane Garden City
His breakthrough came when EPIC Assist’s Senior Employment Advisor, Johnny, marketed & endorsed Zack to Calen, the manager at Mercure Brisbane Garden City. Calen saw potential in Zack and arranged a meet-and-greet, which marked the beginning of a promising opportunity.
Accompanied by EPIC Employment Consultant Katrina, Zack attended the interview at Mercure Brisbane Garden City. The interview outlined various tasks, including breakfast buffet assistance, dishwashing, and general kitchen duties. Zack expressed his preference for back-of-house roles, and Calen was accommodating, understanding Zack’s strengths and preferences.
The interview was a success, and Zack was invited to join an 8-week Introduction to Hospitality program run by Accor (Mercure’s parent company), which includes a disability support program. Calen personally completed Zack’s induction, noting his impressive performance and potential.
The following day Zack completed his very first shift, and Calen made sure that Zack had the necessary uniform to do so – despite the short notice. It was clear for Katrina to see that Calen and the hotel were entirely committed to supporting Zack’s integration into the team. They made every allowance possible for Zack to feel like a member of the Mercure family as soon as he stepped through its doors.
Mercure Brisbane Garden City gives Zack some positive reception
Zack has been working hard at Mercure Brisbane Garden City for 3 months now. As he puts it himself “it’s felt like a really long time, but I’ve still been enjoying it!” During this time he’s received unwavering support from the staff around him, his manager Calen, his family, and our EPIC team. His hard work was noticed by the rest of the Mercure staff when he pitched in during a staff meeting. Calen remarked that Zack conducted himself both professionally and efficiently during the meeting, and he was very impressed with Zack’s work ethic.
In fact, as a way of congratulating Zack and recognising his hard work and dedication, Calen organised to officially present him with his certificate upon his completion of his People with a Purpose Hotel Traineeship. EPIC staff Katrina and Kylee came along for the presentation, and gave a cheer when Zack got handed his well-earned certificate. Zack couldn’t get the smile off his face; this was a serious milestone in his employment journey – and he’d done it!
On the back of this milestone for him, Zack feels like his confidence has gotten a serious boost and he is aspiring to become proficient in all areas of work across the hotel. Calen explained that since Mercure had such a people focused atmosphere, a lot of the roles can flow into one another when the staff are customer focused every step of the way. Zack is keen to expand his horizons beyond the kitchen, and the way he’s going, it won’t be long before he knows his way around every part of Mercure Brisbane Garden City.
Final words from Calen
Calen couldn’t be happier with the support of EPIC and the growth of Zack. While he had no problem employing the dedicated young school leaver, he couldn’t have predicted just how far Zack would progress in such a short time. Once we were done congratulating Zack on his certificate, Calen was sure to let us know that he was happy to accept any other employees from EPIC.
“We make sure that we’re a business that’s inclusive, ECO friendly, and personable. Zack’s done fantastic; our other EPIC participant Leon has been fantastic. So, if there are any others that come our way – I’m sure that they’ll be fantastic!” Calen said with a gentle laugh.
If you have a disability, injury, mental health condition, or health condition, contact us today to find out how we can help you prepare for, find, and keep a job you love.
If you’re thinking of hiring a person with disability, start the conversation with us today by phoning 13 EPIC (3742) or sending us a message.
