Classic car fan lands dream job with Endeavour Foundation

Eighteen-year-old classic car enthusiast, Cruz, loves nothing more than riding in his 1955 Ford F100, with the windows down “to look old school”.

And now, in a lucky turn of fate, through his job at Endeavour Foundation Business Solutions site in Maroochydore, Cruz is helping to produce the Bowden’s Own Car Care range he uses to get his F100 car show ready.  

“That's one of the reasons Cruz wanted to work here – because he loves Bowden’s [Own] products, and he wanted to work with them,” said Endeavour Foundation Employment Coach, Mandy.  

“He started as soon as he possibly could,” Mandy laughed.

Having participated in the work experience program for two years while attending Nambour Special School, Cruz was keen to become a permanent member of the team after graduating at the end of 2024.

Now working at the Social Enterprise in Maroochydore two days each week, Cruz says he enjoys, “having fun working with my friends and the bosses too” and, like any teenager, “getting the cash!”

His new job is a big step up from the two hours of work experience he was previously doing each week; however, Cruz has taken it in his stride and says it’s “easier now” after settling in for a few months.

“It's longer hours, but it's not a huge change as Cruz knows the staff and employees already,” Mandy explained.

Endeavour Foundation’s Business Solutions offers supported employees the opportunity to gain experience working on a wide range of jobs, from the packaging and labelling of products to document destruction.

“Sometimes in the document destruction, one of the bosses down there plays music,” Cruz said smiling. “Like my favourite – Elvis!”

In fact, Cruz loves the King of Rock ’n’ Roll so much that, for his graduation from Nambour Special School, he even “dressed up like Elvis” in a sparkly costume complete with “the American Eagle on the back” and did a performance.

Since working with Endeavour Foundation, Cruz has already tried his hand at several different jobs and continues to grow and gain new skills through his work.

“Cruz has been excellent. He's always keen to work and always happy when he comes in. He's happy to have a go at any job from start to finish and takes instruction well.”

Now that Cruz has made the transition from school to employment, Endeavour Foundation’s work experience partnership with Nambour Special School is now preparing the next group future employees.

“We have five students come in once a week for two hours to do work experience,” Mandy said.

“Normally we go into the training room for an hour to talk through code of conduct and different work-related topics. Then they come out on the workshop floor and learn a bit of document destruction or decanting for an hour.

“Cruz did work experience for two years – Year 11 and Year 12 – and so did Michael who is also working here two days per week. We do see a massive difference, maturity-wise, over those two years. We can just see that they are ready to come to work.”

Soon, Cruz might even be able to pay forward the care he was shown as a work experience student by becoming a mentor to his former school mates.

“Yeah, I know everyone, and I even know the teachers too,” he said.

Creating paths to supported employment is a crucial part of building an inclusive community and providing meaningful work opportunities for people with disability.

Now that he has a job he loves at Endeavour Foundation, Cruz is looking forward to staying on for the long-term and working “with my friends – definitely.”

And next time you’re in the market for some car care products, Cruz can highly recommend Bowden’s Own, especially now that he has helped label and package the product.

When you buy tickets with Endeavour Foundation Lotteries, you're not just in the running to win a dream home, you're helping create real opportunities for people with disability to live, learn, work and flourish.

Every ticket sold helps provide pathways to employment, independence, and inclusion – turning possibility into reality.