11/08/2026
EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE MORE OPPORTUNITIES. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE 1997.
There's been a lot of discussion recently about the lack of opportunities for young people to get that important first step into the workplace.
It's something I feel strongly about because I remember being that youngster myself.
As a teenager, somebody gave me the opportunity to work on the markets. I learned about turning up on time, working hard, dealing with people, earning my own money and standing on my own two feet.
I've never forgotten that.
So when Tracy and I opened Rafters in 1997, we believed in giving other youngsters their first opportunity too.
Since then, we've employed hundreds of local teenagers, many starting with us at just 15 or 16 in their very first job.
Has it always gone smoothly? Definitely not! 😂
Some have been more challenging than others and I'm sure plenty would tell you I was hard on them at times. They'd be right!
But I make no apology for that. The world of work can be tough. Turn up on time, work hard, communicate, be part of the team and don't let the people around you down. They're lessons that will serve you well wherever life takes you.
What I really enjoy is the energy youngsters bring and watching them develop. Someone can arrive shy and unsure and, over time, you see their confidence grow, they learn to deal with customers, take responsibility and earn some independence.
When they eventually head out into the big wide world, I believe that experience gives them a real advantage.
And some never did leave!
We have people in senior roles at Rafters today, now in their 30s, who first joined us as teenagers and now play a huge part in running the business.
That's something Tracy and I are immensely proud of.
We've also had many former youngsters come back or stop me years later to thank me for giving them their first chance. Those conversations mean a lot.
And just to be clear, we've never received any financial assistance for employing young people. We've done it because we believe in giving them an opportunity.
We've always had a simple view:
A fair day's work deserves a fair day's pay.
The youngsters in these photographs are some of the latest generation at Rafters.
Give them a chance. Believe in them. Set standards. Pay them fairly. Then enjoy watching them grow.
Somebody gave me that chance all those years ago. I've never forgotten it.
Did you have one of your first jobs at Rafters?
If you did, we'd love to hear where you are now and what you're doing.
There must be hundreds of you out there!
