TRACQS recruitment services plant a new seed for Troppo Propagation

Businesses are much like plants – in the sense that if you nurture them correctly, they’ll grow.  

Rohan and Tracy Rusch, owners of Troppo Propagation, run a wholesale seedling nursery at Koah in Far North Queensland.   

At their nursery, Rohan and Tracy supply a variety of indoor plants that are purchased for big buildings in our major cities. They also supply a variety of landscaping plants to the wholesale and retail nursery industry.  

As long-term residents and business owners in Koah, our TRACQS Employment and Outreach Services Manager, Sali, reached out to the pair to discuss the services TRACQS offers in the ways of recruitment, referrals, Post Placement Support and Government Incentives.  

With Rohan and Tracy both being incredibly busy and wanting to create local employment opportunities, the pair trusted our team to help lighten-up their schedule by finding them a suitable candidate to join the Troppo Propagation team.   

Rohan and Tracy were looking for a specific type of employee – someone with a good work ethic who wouldn’t mind working outside during the scorching North Queensland summers.   

Taking in the preferences of both Rohan and Tracy, Sali paired them with TRACQS Community Development Program (CDP) participant Thomas. As a part of our services for CDP, Thomas elected to be a part of the Kowrowa Property Maintenance Activity Group, where he gained skills in land care and vegetation management, which included activities such as landscaping and planning.   

“We have found the assistance and knowledge of the TRACQS team very valuable. The nursery work is primarily outdoors and has been most suitable for those who enjoy fitness, the physical side of work and don’t mind the heat of the tropics!” described Tracy.    

Thomas’ time within the Kowrowa Property Maintenance Activity Group, specifically the skills and experience he picked up doing vegetation management, meant that he was an excellent match for Troppo Propagation.    

Both Rohan and Tracy are thrilled to have Thomas on board, and as a part of our recruitment services, they’ve had the spare time to build on other areas of the business. To help them achieve this, we were able to provide them with a 26-week Employer Incentive, which they can utilise for training future jobseekers.   

TRACQS has managed to present suitable staff for the position. It’s been great having a local company that is at hand for follow up service,” said Tracy. 

To prepare Thomas for starting his new job, our Post Placement Support Services provided him with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E) he would need to commence. Working outdoors, protective workwear was essential for Thomas. So, we were thrilled to provide him with two cargo pants, two lightweight open front shirts, Saturn lace-up steel cap boots, Force 360 cool flex AGT nitrile Gloves, two straw hats and cotton boot covers to adhere to Workplace health and safety requirements.  

It’s now been six months since Thomas commenced working at Troppo Propagation as a Nursery Hand and in that time, he’s acquired several impressive skills including the following:   

• Preparation of seed for propagation  
• Propagation and identification of plant species  
• Potting and maintenance of plants  
• Assistance with the preparation of orders for dispatch  
• Machinery operation and maintenance  
• All aspects of running and maintaining plant/seedling nursery   

Thomas is thriving in his new role and is enjoying the work he’s doing at the seedling nursery.   

Since commencing a relationship with TRACQS by hiring Thomas, Rohan and Tracy have continued to use our recruitment services and have achieved several work placements with our jobseekers.    

“We have found that through the knowledge, expertise and initiatives offered by TRACQS, our business has been assisted greatly. It has relieved us of the extra work of recruiting staff knowing that TRACQS would handle it in a professional manner. It has also enabled us to further our business as a result of the incentives on offer.”    

Tracy Rusch, Troppo Propagation.

We’re pleased to yet again see another story come full circle. In this instance, we’ve created another fantastic connection with an established business, and have given them room for new opportunities.

At the same time, we’ve allowed a participant to find stability and discover new passions and skills. We can’t wait to see our partnership with Rohan and Tracy strengthen, as we continue to support them, while creating security for our participants.