Knowing some of Taylor’s insecurities around his autism, Davidson said that as an employer, he saw the young man’s disability as an opportunity, not an obstacle. “He’s still only young, but Jarrad’s a great listener and communicator, so I know he’ll be doing what he wants in no time.” That remains the case now that Taylor’s on the job, with Davidson having no doubts that he’ll reach his goal of side loader driver. “There were no special provisions, no handholding, just hard work from Jarrad,” Davidson said. “After that we let him loose on the world. “He passed the interview, then the medical and then orientation and training. “That was about two years ago, so when I got the call earlier this year, we got him started on the application process. “I told him to give me a call when he finished his HSC. “We spoke then about how he was keen to become a garbo and asked me if I’d be interested in hiring him once he finished school. “Jarrad actually came on a site tour when he was still in school. Tony Davidson is the Municipal Contract Manager at Cleanaway and was the one that hired Taylor.Īccording to him, from the moment they met, the passion was plain to see. “That’s why I’m so glad that Cleanaway have given me a go, they saw my passion, not my disability, and I honestly couldn’t be happier.” “Before Cleanaway, I’d been trying to get a job for about two years but was always given the cold shoulder by employers because of my disability. “When I was younger, I definitely saw my autism as a barrier to getting a job. “To do that I need to get my Rigid Truck Licence, which I’ll be able to go for in 11 months’ time, but for now I’m just really happy to be where I am,” Taylor said.īelieving his autism to have been a barrier to employment in the past, Taylor said he’d had some doubts when he applied, but resolved not to let his disability stop him from pursuing his goals. “My goal is to move up the ranks and become a permanent side loader driver. “I applied, and not even a week later, I got the job and was going through initiation.Īnd it’s a dream Taylor is continuing to cultivate, with the go-getter keen to progress his career. “My recycling driver actually gave me the heads up and I knew that was my moment. ![]() So, when one of his garbo mates informed him of a job opening coming up, he took his chance. “I’d take any chance I could get to visit the Somersby depot and I just knew it was where I wanted to be,” Taylor said. “When I was 12, I even made the local paper when Remondis granted my birthday wish and let me wash one of their trucks. ![]() “I always dreamed of working on the local garbage trucks. “Who knows, someday I could even make a living off of it,” Taylor said.īut ambitions of being the world’s first garbo influencer aside, Taylor said he’s happy right where he is. “The interest has been pretty incredible and it’s something I’m pretty proud of. “Back then I was just filming for fun and I thought a YouTube channel was the perfect space to share my hobby. Started to give Taylor a means of sharing his many videos documenting garbage trucks, today the channel has over 600 videos and has racked up more than 500,000 views, something Taylor never expected. That was also when he launched his YouTube channel, JT Garbo. The 18-year-old, who is on the autism spectrum, has started working as a bin puller for Cleanaway, with the position the culmination of a lifelong fascination with garbage trucks.įirst captivated by the trucks with the “robot arms” as a toddler, Taylor spent his childhood learning everything there was to know about garbage trucks.įrom memorising the Coast’s garbage collection routes to studying the history of Australian waste management, he was obsessed.īy the time he was 10, he was good friends with his local garbos and had made up his mind that he’d be one of them. If you want to talk trash, Lake Munmorah’s Jarrad Taylor is your man.
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