Thoroughbread Bakery owner says Jordan Bowden is everything she wants in an employee

Jordan Bowden has been working for Thoroughbread bakery for about a year now and he has already been given more responsibility.

He came to Thoroughbread through the Horowhenua Learning Centre.

"He has been great," says bakery owner Rebecca Rolls. "I needed an extra hand last year for Easter and I took him on temporarily. He spent much of his time scooping dough into tins by hand. He was keen, energetic and wanted to learn. And he learnt quickly too. He picked up speed really fast."

Jordan also works well with others, and is serious, punctual and a reliable and hard worker.

"He grasped the sense of what Thoroughbread stands for. He's not just doing a job. He speaks proudly to others about his job and the bakery."

Horowhenua Learning Centre's Jo Robinson has worked hard to help Jordan get ready for a job and when he had trouble getting to that job, HLC lent him a bicycle, with helmet and padlock.

"Within three months he had saved enough money to buy his own gear, and returned our bike for someone else to use. I think that says a lot about Jordan," she says.

Thoroughbread owner Rebecca Rolls says the support from HLC for Jordan has been fantastic.

"They did everything to help him and every other month they'd ring me to see how he was doing and they still do. I would use students from there again." Jordan has recently been given more responsibility and more hours too.

"He now does inwards goods and stock co-ordination and his confidence has grown so much."

She says Jordan embodies everything she looks for in an employee and is very glad she took him on.

Photo details:  Jordan Bowden at work scooping gluten-free dough into baking tins at Levin's Thoroughbread bakery.

Note: This article appeared in the Horowhenua Chronicle on 30 May 2018