Land management traineeships to offer career pathway
Date published: 9 November 2016
Council is seeking State Government support for a project to employ 40 trainees and deliver a Certificate I in Conservation and Land Management.
Funding of $1,017,300 is being sought for the Building Pride Building Community project through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work, Work Skills Traineeship.
If successful, council will run the program from February 2017 to February 2018.
Funding will cover costs of trainee and supervisor wages, as well as vehicles and equipment.
Council will provide in-kind support for project coordination, training facilities and training support to the value of $481,715.
Gtec Training and Development Pty Ltd will provide onsite support and mentoring plus in-kind financial assistance to participants as well as post placement support to encourage long-term sustainable employment.
Community Health and Environment Committee chair Cr Ann-Maree Greaney said the project was a first step to increasing the skills of local people and improving employment prospects for at-risk sectors of the community.
“This is also part of larger program to stimulate jobs growth in the region,” Cr Greaney said.
Target groups will be disadvantaged job seekers, mature-age job seekers aged 45 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people and women re-entering the workforce. Training will be delivered through the Australian Agricultural College.
“This project has been designed to equip participants with a diverse range of vocational skills including small construction techniques, hand and power tool use, plant identification, revegetation techniques and much more,” Cr Greaney said.
“At the end each participant will receive a comprehensive portfolio that will detail individual career pathways, sustainable employment pathways and skills and qualifications that may be required for that particular industry.”
The program will be run in two separate intakes consisting of two teams of trainees, working for 26 weeks.
They will work in the Upper Ross to Louisa Creek area, including Kirwan, Heatley, Vincent and Garbutt.
Works will include revegetation works, weed management, basic construction and hosting community tree planting events.
Council will be notified whether its application was successful early next year.
Cr Greaney said council’s Environmental Services staff had discussed with NQ Region State Department of Education and Training the prospect of a larger tailored jobs and training program to align local and state interest in tackling unemployment while delivering community social and environmental outcomes.
Townsville City Council is one of the region’s largest and most successful employers of trainees and apprentices, with 60-70 employed each year. Council also has an outstanding track record of 98% completion rate, far about the state average of 67%.
