With Year 12 students getting their results recently, Queensland’s Mackay City Council has urged school leavers to consider one of the 26 Council traineeships on offer as an alternative to university. This innovative program is starting to produce great results for the community.
Mackay City Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Ken Gouldthorp, said a 12 month traineeship with Council was a great opportunity to assist young people to enter the workforce or gain valuable on the job skills before starting tertiary education.
“As one of the largest employers in our community, Council has an important role to play in providing training and employment opportunities for local youth,” he said. “All types of industries are currently reporting serious shortages in skilled labour, and offering traineeships is one way Council can stop the flow of talented employees to the major metropolitan areas.”
Over the past two years, more than 150 local people have completed traineeships or apprenticeships with Council.
“The training, development, and skills gained by these trainees and apprentices have assisted them to identify other employment, training or education opportunities at the end of their employment with Council,” he said.
Mackay City Council attracts State Government funding of around $400,000 each year from the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle – First Start Program to assist trainees to gain skills in a practical working environment. Council provides inhouse resources to support trainees and apprentices through workplace supervision, on the job training, and the services of a dedicated Organisational Learning and Development Adviser.
Ken Gouldthorp said at a time when school leavers are considering their futures, it is essential that local businesses provide employment and career development opportunities to keep our local youth in the area.
One of the trainees, Jemma Carey, started her Business Administration traineeship with Mackay City Council in June last year. Before gaining employment with Council, Jemma worked in several casual jobs after leaving school in Year 11.
She was attracted to the Business Administration traineeship as she thought it would be a good opportunity to work full time and gain further skills and training. Jemma completed all her required TAFE competency modules in half the time normally required.
As a result, her supervisors at Council have encouraged her to apply for further tertiary education. She was ecstatic this week to learn that she had been accepted into a Bachelor of Internet Communication at CQU Mackay. She plans to undertake her studies as an external student until her traineeship with Council is completed in June this year.
For more information contact Acting Training and Development Officer, Amanda Johns, on (07) 4968 4444.
