Kody paints new pathway for himself following traineeship

'I had been considering more retail stuff because I like talking to people and being in a shop'

GROWTH: Kody Slattery (centre), with Tom Kenneally and Tim Hilton, has already found work following his 18-week apprenticeship at the Lockyer Valley Kart Club. Picture: Ebony Graveur

KODY Slattery is one of 12 trainees who, in just 18 weeks, launched himself out of unemployment and into a job.

In that short space of time, he discovered a love of painting and formed "lifelong" friendships.

Through the government-funded Skilling Queenslanders for Work program, participants worked on the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley Kart Club in Helidon to learn skills they could use in future employment.

Kody, 19, said he came across the opportunity while job hunting online.

"At that time I'd been out of work for six months so any job that was giving me income was what I wanted," he said.

Having always worked in retail, Kody hadn't never considered learning a trade.

"he said.

"This is the first time I've ever done something like this but it was so much fun and I've loved it."

He said he focused mostly on painting during the traineeship and had already secured a job.

DGT Employment and Training trainer Tim Hilton said many who embarked on the traineeships had begun with minimal skills.

"You have people with little skill come into it," he said.

"I had been considering more retail stuff because I like talking to people and being in a shop," A lot of people are generally nervous and don't know a lot of the building terms but, towards the end, you really see a difference in their confidence."

He said the goal of the 18 weeks was to land the trainees a job.

"That's definitely what the training is centred around," he said.

"To get them into the routine of having lunch at a certain time, the routine of having an income."