Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Ambassador
Introducing Charlie Evans
Training and staff development is the backbone of Charlie Evans’s landscaping and horticulture design business, Urbaneco Australia, which has been creating sustainable, family-friendly garden designs for 25 years. Charlie is Victoria’s Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Ambassador
Three of his seven employees are apprentices and a fourth is now fully qualified having recently completed his apprenticeship. He also subcontracts other work to his former apprentices who now run their own businesses.
Charlie’s apprentices spend one day a week studying at TAFE and the rest of the time they get practical, on the job training. Charlie also encourages his staff to do relevant short courses, such as those offered through the Landscaping Industry Association of Victoria.
Charlie is so serious about training the next generation of landscapers and horticulturalists that he now also teaches Certificate II VET Horticulture at Box Hill Senior Secondary College.
Taking his commitment to TAFE and training to another level, Charlie has signed the Victorian Government’s Skills Pledge which is an initiative open to businesses of all sizes who are committed to improving the skills of their workforce.
By taking the pledge, Charlie has been publicly acknowledged by the Government for his contribution to improving the productivity and efficiency of his workforce.
Urbaneco Australia was a finalist in the Victoria Small Business of the Year Award for the 2009 Victorian Training Awards.