Plans in place to expand On Common Country after successful first run
An innovative program is paying big dividends for the city’s First Nation’s youth helping them on the first steps of their career. Here’s how.
Townsville
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An innovative program is paying big dividends for the city’s First Nation’s youth helping them on the first steps of their career.
On Common Country has just successfully completed its second intake for its
Customised First Nations Work Preparation Program for the Automotive Industry with 9 of the 13 participants been offered employment.
Plans are already underway to expand the program, which provides tailored support and training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers, to other industries and to other regional centres.
Participants completed a five week Customised Motor Trades orientation with different Townsville businesses including Mike Carney Toyota, Carmichael Ford, Key Motors, McClure Refinishing, Dymock’s Mechanical, and AMA Group repairers Alexander Body Works and Re-Car.
One of the program’s graduate’s former Heatley Secondary College student Cody Courtney said it was a fantastic opportunity.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for Indigenous kids as being in Townsville with for the crimes – just trying to be a role model,” he said.
“Show them that there’s opportunities out there and you got to be willing to chase it.
He recommended the program to his peers.
“It beats just staying home and just doing nothing. At least you get to be out there and some a few tips and you know to store down in your brain for a little bit information later on in life.”
On Common Country director Noel Gertz said there were further intakes for the program in the coming months targeting 40 placements and they were planning to expand to include other industries.
“This model has been a very good workforce entry model and can be expanded across any number of industries, particularly in some of the shorter skill shortage areas like electro technology, catering, hospitality, civil construction, and some of the trade areas like fabrication and fitting and turning.
“We’re just about the stage now where we believe we could start to talk to other regional centres like Cairns and Mackay, implement that same program with we think we’ve already had most of the issues around logistics and operations
But the other part of this program is the intensive support we give to the participants so we have mentors who pick them up, take them work experience, liaison between the employer and the employee and develop a good relationship so that the employees feel welcomed and sort of settled in various ways where they’re placed.”
NQ Cowboys legend Matty Bowen has been a mentor for some of the program’s participants and said his role was to keep them on track and motivated.
“So our role is to get him to the course of the on time and coming into the shop at the start of the weekend. And then when they get back to work placement to mostly taking the job and pick them up in the afternoons and ask them about how that day went.”
He said it was important that the participants had successful mentors and role models they could look up to.
“These guys that are taken on board now they’ve got the first pay packet and it is something different that they change their mindset to have to get up in the morning and work hard and have to turn up on time and be in uniform and all that stuff.
“So it’s great to pass that knowledge on and see them obviously with a smile on their face and animated – it’s is something special.”
Anne McClure from McClure Refinishing said her business had not hesitation about been part of the program and supporting Indigenous job seekers.
“We actually have some indigenous workers already. So it was something that’s really important to us to continue through the workplace as well. And just giving kids that maybe would never have had the opportunity. People you know, would turn the other way when they come to look for a job.”
Businesses in the automotive industry and prospective job seekers interested in future opportunities are encouraged to contact On Common Country.
Originally published as Plans in place to expand On Common Country after successful first run
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