The Taiapa family at PAK’nSAVE Albany aren’t just a family but a team of five members building their careers at the same store.
Each family member has forged their path with solid support from their managers and store owner-operator Jason Witehira, who has invested in their growth through apprenticeships and on-the-job training.
Jono Taiapa, the butchery and seafood manager, has worked with his brother James, who is third in charge of the butchery department.
He started working at PAK’nSAVE Albany in 2011, while still at school. As a 16-year-old, unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, he got a job in the grocery department as a shelf stacker, working the late shift.
“I loved it because I started earning all this money, and then my managers were always talking to us about courses they had going for kids like me to get ahead and telling us how to learn management or do a trade,” he said.
He set his sights elsewhere in the in-store, began an apprenticeship in the butchery department, and progressed up the ranks to his current role as manager. He said he loved his job so much that other family members followed him here and were given the same opportunities.
“They say the family that works together stays together, and it must be true because I love going to work every day and seeing my family. My work crew at PAK’nSAVE Albany have always felt like family to me, and now my actual family is there working alongside me, which is pretty cool.”
His sister Jude has been training as an apprentice in the bakery, while Jono’s nephew Evan is on his way to becoming a qualified butcher. The youngest, Micah, works part-time as a Trolley Recovery Assistant while still in school.
The success of their sister, Jude, a stay-at-home mother of four, has also been a significant source of pride among the family. She got her first-ever job at PAK’nSAVE Albany and has been making significant strides in her position since joining the team.
“She’s doing so well with the bakery, already wanting to move onwards and upwards, and is looking at management training.”
The Taiapa family has been a great example of dedication and growth, and they have made a real difference together at PAK’nSAVE Albany.
“It’s amazing to have such an awesome family like the Taiapas working at PAK’nSAVE Albany. Not only are they great people, but they’re also great at what they do, and they’re all making big strides in their chosen fields,” said Witehira.
“At PAK’nSAVE, we’re all about growing talent from within, and the Taiapas are a shining example of how we’ve helped people reach their potential and progress their careers.”
At work, the Taiapas often meet together on their meal breaks for morning tea and lunch in the staff room.
Jono Taiapa added that he will always be grateful to PAK’nSAVE Albany, its work culture, and the opportunities it has given him and his family.
“It’s the type of place where if you work hard, you will get noticed. I never thought in my wildest dreams that a 16-year-old kid stacking shelves could make it this far, but they believed in me, and I guess you could say that I proved them right.”
