At 63 years old, Barry Snook decided that after 26 years of working in the apple orchards of the West Tamar Valley in Tasmania, he needed a job that was closer to home and which had regular hours. Barry was eligible for assistance from a Job Network Member, and they encouraged him to apply for a range of positions, including one as a Yardsman at a local timberyard.

Barry's boss, Paul Holmes, admits that when he originally looked at Barry's resume, he was little apprehensive about giving him an interview. This was because of the physical nature of the position and his previous employee had been a 16 year old. However, Paul decided to give Barry a chance and was so impressed with Barry's interview that he offered him the job.

Barry took this all in his stride and has now been successfully working in the position for seven months. Paul has never regretted giving Barry a go and he is continually impressed with his strong work ethic and enthusiasm. Barry's success has played an important role in changing the perceptions of hiring mature age employees in his workplace.

"I am definitely a lot more open-minded about mature age workers following my experience with Barry," Paul said.