Hailing from Scotland, Jordan joined Good Cycles in 2022. But as it would be, coming from faraway lands meant the lure to jump in a van and add to his Australian experience could not be ignored forever. Before he left us to begin what would surely be an exciting journey, we asked him for his insights and reflections of his time working with Good Cycles.
Tell us a little about what your role has involved, and what a typical day might entail as a Youth Coach?
As far as a ‘typical day’ goes, there’s no such thing at Good Cycles (and that’s exactly why I have loved it so much!). I usually begin my day facilitating toolbox talks with our employees in our City Services division. We cover topics such as mental health, financial literacy, personal safety, as well as completing the ever-important task of drinking coffee and having a good old chin wag.
I would then be out and about meeting with young people to facilitate coaching sessions, either at the beginning, during or after their shift. These sessions are goal focused and allow our young people to concentrate on what is important to them. This can include (but is certainly not limited to) exploring career options, enrolling in further education, saving for a new car, or just having a general catch up to see how their week is going.
Additionally, these coaching sessions allow me to empower young people to access service provision by referring them on to a multitude of our multi agency partners. Although predominantly based in North Melbourne, I usually find myself bouncing around our different sites to meet with young people. I like to refer to it as the Tour de Good Cycles: I might start my day off in North Melbourne, cycle to our Goldsbrough Lane store, then to our Queen Victoria Market store, and finish off at our Sunshine depot. For someone who hates sitting still, this suits me perfectly. Plus, all of the cycling helps to balance out my weekend pizza habit.
Having worked in the public sector as well as the NFP space, what key differences have you discovered while working with Good Cycles?
Nobody is stagnant. The Good Cycles crew are the most refreshing bunch I’ve ever worked with. Ideas are constantly being thrown around. Will it work? Won’t it work? Who cares, let’s try it (it usually works well). Rules can be broken, and my rebellious streak loves that. If a job role isn’t quite suiting a young person, we can tailor it to suit their needs. This flexibility has really helped me form extremely close working relationships with our young people in a way that may be difficult in a straight-laced public sector role. Most importantly, it allows them to thrive.
...The Good Cycles crew are the most refreshing bunch I’ve ever worked with. Ideas are constantly being thrown around. Will it work? Won’t it work? Who cares, let's try it (it usually works well). Rules can be broken, and my rebellious streak loves that.
What have you personally loved about working with Good Cycles?
I’ve really loved the genuine ‘can do’ attitude of each staff member. There is no real hierarchy, everyone treats everyone with the utmost respect which is often hard to find in the working world. I’ve felt like my ideas have been listened to, and there’s always someone to rely on if something doesn’t quite go to plan (especially with my bike! Shout out to Charlie and his crew of mechanics). Good Cycles moves at the speed of lightning. In my time here, we have grown incredibly quickly in terms of creating positive opportunities for young people, which is exactly why I applied for the role. We consistently help young people realise their true potential and flourish. What more could I ask for?
Thinking about your role and the young people you’ve been able to assist, what experiences will you take with you from your time with Good Cycles?
There have been too many. From supporting young people with their first job, helping facilitate positive outcomes during coaching sessions, riding along with the crew on shift, celebrating days of significance, supporting positive transitions into further education and new careers, and of course the staff BBQ’s. In Scotland we don’t really have the weather for BBQ’s, so when I first took on the role of head chef, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I can wholeheartedly say I now know how to cater to 15 hungry young people (with a little help from grill-master Cory).