NINE young people graduated from a skills program in Bathurst recently and six have already secured work as a result of it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The program is Skillset Workforce/TAFENSW Skills4Trade.
Five of the participants, Nicholas McFadyen, Brad Cambey, Jessica Evans-Jones, Justin Hill and Corey Simonsen, undertook the Land Works Skills4Trade Program which required participants to complete units from horticulture and forestry certificates with TAFE NSW and non-accredited environment training and work placements with a Skillset Environment Land Works intern crew.
Over the 12-week period, the crew worked across 16 sites, completing 9.87 hectares of landscape maintenance, installing five erosion control structures, constructing one garden design, controlling weeds on 12.1ha and installing 2320 plants.
All five, three of whom were long-term unemployed, have secured crew member positions with the Skillset Environment Land Works Bathurst crew.
Stewart Cooper, Blake Pleming, Lochlan Dagg and Michael Moore completed the Multi-Trade Program, which included carpentry and engineering, and a Try a Trade day covering tiling, bricklaying and electrical, all at TAFE NSW.
The students also undertook “Strong not Tough” training with the TAFE counsellor to build life skills and resilience, and were supported by the TAFE NSW and Skillset Workforce teams to develop job-seeking and work readiness skills.
Lochlan has already been signed up into a bricklaying apprenticeship through Skillset Workforce with host Jim Grives, and the other participants continue to be supported in their job hunting by the program.
Skillset Workforce senior manager Jane McWilliam said they were delighted with the success of the program.
“Skills4Trade, in conjunction with our Pledge250 Jobs Campaign, is about getting young people ‘job ready’, and then having jobs for them to try,” she said.
“The programs won the Industry Collaboration Award at this year’s NSW Training Awards and that has now been backed up by the outcomes we are seeing from this group of Skills4Trade graduates.
“It really is making a difference.”
Skills4Trade programs are running again in Bathurst in 2018. There will be another Land Works program and one focusing on construction trades.
These programs are funded for eligible participants and details can be found on the Skillset website at skillset.com.au.
Information sessions will be held in mid-January. Registrations can also be completed through the website.