Gold Coast teen Joshua Pollard flooded with support over Coomera roadside job hunt

“One person even came up while I was out there and gave me a pie and a drink.” A Gold Coast teen so desperate for work he took extreme measures has been amazed by the flood of support.

A GOLD Coast teenager was so desperate for work he spent a whole day waving a sign by the side of the road.

He started with a plastics manufacturer yesterday.

Coomera’s Joshua Pollard, 17, said he had been working at Hungry Jack’s, but was struggling to get any hours during the coronavirus crisis.

On Thursday, the jobseeker took his father’s advice and camped out by the side of the road around the Gold Coast International Marine Precinct at Coomera with a sign in tow.

Coomera's Joshua Pollard, 17, at work in his new uniform. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Joshua’s sign read: “Job wanted hard worker electro tech cert 2 keen 17yo”, and a phone number was included.

“My Dad has done this as well and he got a job reasonably fast,” he said.

“I was employed at Hungry Jack’s still, but I haven’t got any work in the last few months. I was casual, so the permanent people were getting the work.”

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Supportive motorists and Facebook users spreading the message meant Joshua’s job hunt was short-lived – he was quickly offered a position working in a factory at Ormeau.

“I was only out there one day, the Thursday,” he said.

“A few people stopped, they took some photos of me and put them on the Facebook pages.

“I got this (job) from one of the people who’ve seen it. They commented and called me up. I went in Saturday for a trial, that went well, so I’m back here (Monday).”

Coomera's Joshua Pollard, 17, took the roadside with a sign hunting for work. He said it didn't take long before he was offered a new job in a factory at Ormeau. Picture: Facebook

A kind soul provided Joshua with something to eat and drink as he appealed for work.

“One person even came up while I was out there and gave me a pie and a drink,” he said.

The teenager said he had been fielding a stream of job offers from Gold Coasters keen to extend a helping hand.

“I have more people supposed to get back to me today or tomorrow,” Joshua said.

The teen was surprised his unusual way of advertising his skills worked so efficiently.

Joshua said he was enjoying his new work with a plastics manufacturer.