Jennifer Mea

“Workplace literacy is for everybody. It’s about upskilling the entire organisation not just people with literacy and language needs.”

Jennifer Mea - Cook Island, Māori, Yugoslav
Warehouse Supervisor

Getting started

I’m a warehouse supervisor (second-in-charge). I do data entry work and make sure our orders get to the right store. I have to be accurate.

I’ve always wanted to succeed and get ahead in the company, which is why I started the national certificate in distribution.

But, to complete it, I found I needed better numeracy skills. I didn’t know how to monitor stock on the computer. I didn’t understand all the jargon. It was a bit of a mystery to me.

So, I got involved in Cardinal’s literacy training. It’s been a great move for me. I’ve since completed my NZQA national certificate level 3. Now, I’m keen to aim for level 4 and level 5. I’ve also got a couple of other management courses lined up.

My story

I went to Edgewater College in Pakuranga. I saw fifth form out, went back for sixth form, but lost interest and left early.

I gave Tauranga College a try too but I didn’t last. I got School C English. That was pretty much it.

I did some office work for my dad who had a towing business. But my first proper job was at McDonalds in Panmure. That was pretty good actually. I learnt a lot and became a crew trainer.

I got a job at Cardinal through my mum nearly 5 years ago now, starting with filing for 5 hours a day.

Impact of training

Cardinal’s literacy training has shown me how much I really know. It boosted my self esteem and it’s helped me learn the theory and reasons behind what I do.

As second-in-charge, I have a team to look after. The tutoring has made me better at working with people.

I’m now more confident when talking with the team. In the past I used to find it hard to talk to some of my guys. But the walls came down after we all took part in training together.

Training together helped them to see me as me – not me as their boss. We all shared the same experience and helped each other.

If I’d done something and they were stuck, I’d explain how I got the answer. They would do the same for me. It felt good to help each other. It builds bonds.

It’s important to have good reading, writing, maths and communication in an organisation like ours. Our guys deal with numbers all day by scanning and entering counts. So they need to be good with numbers.

So, yeah, I think training is important. And not just for work. One of our guys now helps his son with his homework. He hadn’t been able to do that before. It’s good hearing stories like that.

My advice to anyone else looking at literacy training is – go for it. It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is always something to learn.

It doesn’t mean you are dumb. Workplace literacy is for everybody. It’s about upskilling the entire organisation, not just people with literacy and language needs.

Piripi Rankin

“It’s made me a lot more confident. Before I did the course I would just keep to myself.”

Piripi Rankin, Te Whānau-a-Apanui
Team Leader (Despatch)

Getting started

I’m despatch team leader for Masterfoods. So, when you see Masterfoods, that’s me. It’s a big client.

As a team leader I have to let my guys know what’s coming and what we have to do for the day – there’s heaps of organising.

That’s why I took the training. It’s sort of like school but it’s a lot better. I didn’t get on well with the teachers at school but our tutor has been ‘cool as’.

I’m trying to learn as much as I can about warehousing. That means doing the next level of the national certificate or even going for some other job or position within Cardinal. I want to keep on learning and wouldn’t mind an office job.

The training has made it much easier for me to set and achieve these kinds of career goals. I know they’re possible now.

My story

I went to a Māori boarding school. I was there for a year – just the third form and then I moved back to Kawerau College, near Whakatane. I left after fifth form with Level 1 NCEA.

I went to Work and Income to look for a job and they got me on a sign-writing course. I was doing that for a few months and then the guy lost his business and I lost my job.

I ended up working with my mum at Tasman Liquor, then I came here to Cardinal.

Impact of training

I’ve learned the basics from the course. I’ve learned basic maths. We went over it all – multiplication, division and subtraction, pretty much everything. At work you need good maths to check orders and things like that.

Then we learned about listening skills and doing unit standards. We also learned about body language and eye contact – the basics of good communication. I’m also more confident talking to managers now. I used to be scared. Definitely the communication part of training has made my job a lot easier.

I used to like my maths at school. But now I feel more confident about using it. It used to take me a while to figure out how much was on which pallet. Now I can do it, ‘sweet as’.

My advice to others is work hard and take the training. Why not? It’s free. It’s cool.

If I didn’t have the help, I wouldn’t have got my national certificate level 2. So, that’s really something.

Faletolu Faletolu

“Getting a qualification has been very important to me – that piece of paper is extremely important.”

Faletolu Faletolu, Samoa
Team Leader (Picking)

Getting started

I’m a picker at Cardinal. Before that I was at sea for 5 years on an Italian container boat.

My first seaman’s job took me from Apia to New Zealand and around the Pacific. After 6 months practical training in seamanship, I went back to the islands for 3 months. Then I went to Europe for a couple of years.

I learned a lot from that work. I’ve kind of translated my ability to work hard, lead people and be part of a team into my work at Cardinal.

I’m a team leader and I’ve got a very big workload. Cardinal have big new clients on board and I have responsibility for one of them. Training’s really helped me develop my team leadership skills. It’s helped me overcome some of my shyness too.

My story

I was educated in Samoa and moved to New Zealand in 2006.

We don’t speak much English at home. Mostly because I don’t want to forget my language and want to teach it to my kids. I have two children – a boy and a girl. They were both born here in New Zealand.

I came to New Zealand for a better life for my kids. Starting out in New Zealand as an immigrant was hard. I spoke some English but it wasn’t easy getting familiar with the country and the people.

Impact of training

The literacy training has challenged me in lots of ways.

We’ve had to present our work and personal history in the company newsletter.

So, we had to be able to tell our story – and develop our reading and writing skills at the same time. It’s one of the exercises that really made me come out of my shell. It gave me a lot of confidence.

That’s what I’ve noticed most in the workplace. The people who do the training, me included, just seem to hold ourselves higher. You can see it in our faces.

Some of us have developed new skills. Others have uncovered skills that were there but forgotten. Others, like me, have used our new skills to finish an industry qualification. That’s been very important to me.

Literacy training has helped a lot with the basics I need to study and to work – especially my maths and English. My writing and speaking is now a lot better too.

I’ve actually found I’m quite good at mathematics. The tutor revised all my basics. She gave me ideas to help me. I can add up and subtract more easily. My basic maths has come back. I did know the basics but I’d forgotten them.

I use a lot of maths in my work. It’s important when you are a picker because it’s all about keeping accurate records, about knowing what’s gone out and what’s left in stock.

I have four people in my team and I have to fill out their health and safety forms. Every week I also fill in the damage form and give it to the suppliers. That paperwork is now a lot easier. The training has made me better at my job. I’m more confident. I’ve improved myself and I’m looking forward to the next move.

Filemu (Felix) Sau

“Training helped me put away my shyness. The course has awoken me and my company to just how many skills I really have."

Filemu (Felix) Sau, Samoa
Team Leader (Stock Control)

Getting started

I dreamed one day I’d work for a business like Cardinal. I dreamed I’d work for a company that cared about its employees, their welfare and helping people reach their potential.

After I’d been with Cardinal 3 or 4 years, the company asked me to be a team leader.

Once I’d got my foot on the first rung of the management ladder, I wanted to make sure I could keep stepping up. That’s why I did the training.

I wanted to make my dreams come true. I knew the company would help me realise my full potential if I put the effort in.

I’m a team leader in stock control. My job is to do stocktaking, counting – so heaps of maths.

The course has really helped me with that. I’ve also gone on to get a national certificate in warehousing, distribution and management, as well as a promotion.

Then I was shoulder-tapped to speak on behalf of the company at the 2010 MIT Pacific Business Awards dinner for more than 400 people. Of course I said yes.

The course has really worked for me. It’s helped me realise the potential I’ve got. Everyone has noticed the change in me. I’m better at solving problems and management can now see that I really know what I’m doing.

My story

My parents brought me over to New Zealand in my teenage years. I finished form 5 before leaving Samoa and have lived in New Zealand for 21 years. That’s a bit under half my life.

I’ve been with Cardinal since 2003. I started in a labouring job unloading containers.

I want to protect my Samoan heritage and so we speak Samoan at home. I have four children and I want them to grow up speaking Samoan but they have to be able to speak English well too.

Thanks to the course my English is now a lot better. I can help my kids with homework and am more comfortable going to the bank and things like that.

My family are all happy and proud of what I’m doing.

Impact of training

At our training we do reading, writing and maths. We also learn lots of new terms about warehousing.

I’ve learned what the technical stuff like ‘First In First Out’ and ‘Last in First Out’ really means and that’s made my job a lot easier.

It’s the language used at work and you also need it to get NZQA qualifications. It’s all linked up. If I worked in another organisation doing something similar I would still use this language with them.

One of the best things about the course is that I can communicate better with management. Before it was hard to speak to them and talk to them face to face. Now I feel more comfortable talking about work and saying hello.

The training helped me with maths. Maths is so important in our job. It helps us to get the orders right so that’s given me a lot more confidence. That’s what our tutor was able to bring out in me.

I got a level 1 in numeracy and literacy and have finished level 2 in warehousing. I am very quietly spoken but I’ve just been promoted now to stock control team leader from a role as a picker.

This year has been amazing. I’ve learned a lot, I’ve grown in confidence and I’ve had so many opportunities. Training helped me put away my shyness. The course has awoken me and my company to just how many skills I really have.

I recommend to others to just take the opportunity because it is up to you. Just push yourself and believe you will make it. I did.