Councils across the country are giving young people a great start in their career by offering traineeships and apprenticeships to many hundreds of school students and school leavers. We are delighted to see the achievements of three of our young employees recognised at the NSW Training Awards last week.
The NSW Training Awards, conducted annually by Training Services NSW, recognise outstanding achievement in the vocational education and training sector.
We’d like to offer a big congratulations to:
- Trainee of the Year – Emily Jones, Greater Hume Shire Council
- School Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Cassandra O’Carroll, Shoalhaven City Council
- People’s Choice School Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Theodore Scholl, Richmond Valley Council
Trainee of the Year – Emily Jones, Greater Hume Shire Council
Dreaming of a career where she could help others, Emily became a Customer/Library Service and Youth Development trainee for the Greater Hume Council while also studying teaching and completing her HSC.
Discovering that libraries are the heart of the community, Emily brought her library into the 21st century instigating a social media plan and connecting young people to their services.
She then took over the planning and implementation of a major youth arts event that attracted 250 young people to Henty. It won ‘Highly Commended’ at the NSW Youth Week awards. Well-respected in her community, Emily has instigated four new youth advisory committees in the region. She’s now a full-time Youth Officer at the Greater Hume Council.
School Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Cassandra O’Carroll, Shoalhaven City Council
Cassandra is undertaking her school-based traineeship in the threatened species department of environmental services at Shoalhaven City Council.
During the recent bushfires, Cassandra applied the scientific skills she’d learnt at Kiama Community College to help injured wildlife. She documented fatalities, epicormic regrowth after fire and compiled data on weed invasion, feral predation, sedimentation of creeks, and species proliferation.
As school captain of Bomaderry High School, Cassandra created the Sustainable Schools Competition where schools compete for prizes by undertaking eco-friendly initiatives. A National Parks Wildlife Services volunteer, Cassandra was a speaker at Nowra’s school strike for a climate change rally, a joint recipient of the Victor Chang Science Award, and a participant in the Sonder Youth Leadership Program.
People’s Choice School Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Theodore Scholl, Richmond Valley Council
Theodore chose a SBAT in warehousing because he wanted to challenge himself in an unfamiliar industry. As storekeeper for Richmond Valley Council, he enjoys the role’s variety and his connection to the community. Winner of multiple leadership awards, Theodore seeks to be the change he wants to see in the future.
These fantastic achievements come as the Federal Government announced a 50% subsidy for 100,000 new apprenticeships. This $1.2 billion Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy will support organisations to take on new apprentices and trainees, to build a pipeline of skilled workers to support sustained economic recovery. The wage subsidy is available for eligible new apprentices and trainees engaged between 5 October 2020 and 30 September 2021.
As a sector, we welcome this subsidy and recognise the importance of encouraging young people into rewarding employment. With over 100 qualifications suitable for traineeship and apprenticeship positions in local government, councils are well placed to offer young people the start they need to build successful and satisfying careers.
