A dozen teenagers took up the challenge to be job-ready and switched on to safety in the workplace thanks to a free youth workshop delivered by TAFE New South Wales and Inverell Council.
The four hour Manual Handling course, supported by the New South Wales Government, was timed to coincide with the school holidays and took the teen participants through the type of accidents that can occur at work and how risk of injury can be reduced.
Acting mayor, Councillor Anthony Michael said it was the latest event to be held under the 2019 Youth Opportunities calendar and believed the training would help young people stand out to prospective employers.
As an employer and councillor, the acting mayor said he was delighted to see so many youth giving up their school holidays to learn skills that would help them throughout their careers.
“This TAFE accredited training provides the participants with a qualification to add to their resume.”
Trainer, Amanda Morris,said TAFE was thrilled to be working with Council to deliver training to local youth.
“They have been a fantastic young group. It’s really nice to see training opportunities for young people going into the workplace and today we’ve covered some really pertinent information on work health and safety for young people”.
The teens discussed the sorts of accidents and injuries that could occur in the workplace, including strains and minor injuries through to medical emergencies.
Practical elements of the workshop also discussed steps for employees to look out for their own safety and also the safety of workmates and customers.
“For many businesses, manual tasks are an important part of getting the job done and involve using your body to lift or move items in the workplace.
“Injuries can occur from a number of different tasks and they can have a costly impact on workers and businesses. If we can help reduce the likelihood of young employees being impacted, that’s a big positive.”
