Two West Arnhem Shire Council Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) participants have taken a big step in their ongoing training towards certification in the construction industry.
Located at the top of the Northern Territory, West Arnhem Shire covers almost 50,000 square kilometres and has a population of around 6,800 people across its five main townships.
In a partnership developed between Council and local company, McKenna Constructions, Gunbalanya residents Lawrence Nayinggul and Samson Namundja have been working under the supervision of McKenna Constructions mentor John Clacy for about seven months.
The two were initially trained in areas such as numeracy, literacy and practical instruction, while undertaking a variety of smaller jobs.
But they are now being given the opportunity to apply their skills to the construction of a new Youth Diversion space in Gunbalanya.
The team have cleared vegetation from the site and marked out boundaries in preparation for setting out formwork to pour a 37 square metre concrete slab.
They will then build a large open shed for the facility, as well as other items for the project, such as mahogany tabletops and chairs.
When finished, the Youth Diversion space will comprise an open shelter, new music room and recording studio, toilets, sandy dance area, seating and camp ovens.
McKenna Constructions Director Aaron McKenna said the mentoring program was designed to give the West Arnhem’s CDEP participants the best opportunity to progress from earning a Certificate I in Civil Construction to completion of Certificate II accreditation.
If Lawrence and Samson display sufficient promise and enthusiasm, they will then be considered for acceptance into the McKenna Constructions apprenticeship scheme.
The program is being run in conjunction with Top End Training and Development.
John Clacy has obtained a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, allowing him to deliver the necessary modules to Lawrence and Samson on site, and to assess them against the relevant criteria.
“Instead of sending them to Darwin for one week in every four for classroom training, we can deliver it here in Gunbalanya, which is a win/win situation,” John said. “That way Lawrence and Samson don’t have to leave their community and families to do the training.”
Aaron McKenna sees the initiative as a model for the construction industry in the Northern Territory and hopes to be able to expand the program to other communities within West Arnhem Shire.
“I’d like to give these guys the skills to eventually be self sufficient in building houses,” Aaron said. “It’s my company’s way of putting something back into the communities in which we work.”
Aaron McKenna and John Clacy both agree that the secret to the ongoing success of the program is to start with a small group of trainees who are mentored by the same person who delivers all of their training, before they move on to become part of a bigger team.
The trainees have been presented with a variety of work to develop their skills, ranging from painting and fencing, to learning to operate a bobcat.
Unlike established urban construction training programs, progression through the modules is based on competency and not a rigid timeframe, allowing for a more holistic approach to training than one seeking to meet predetermined guidelines.
Trainees can focus on areas of increased need, such as numeracy and literacy, without the pressure of deadlines or having to work within a larger team.
West Arnhem Shire Council Mayor Ralph F Blyth said that the partnership between Council and McKenna Constructions is a welcome initiative that will deliver positive results for the community.
“This construction mentoring program provides Samson and Lawrence with highly relevant competencies and skills needed in their community,” Mayor Blyth said.
Samson and Lawrence said that the program has given them an opportunity to work full time, beyond the limited Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) hours they were previously engaged in, and to learn new skills together.
“We help each other out,” Lawrence said. “Even though one of us is left handed and the other is right handed!”
Samson said that he has enjoyed operating the bobcat and that he appreciates the tools the trainees are being provided.
“The best part for me so far was learning the fencing,” Samson said.
