Western Downs Indigenous Traineeship Program 2020 - 2021:

As the Senior Indigenous Mentor, I was involved in a paid work experience traineeship/Apprenticeship program for enthusiastic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People from regional Queensland. The trainees studied a Cert 3 Workplace Health and Safety, and worked alongside tradespeople in up to four trades:

• Electrical
• Manufacturing
• Warehousing
• Process Operations

Each trainee received:

• Experience in a world-class organisation with first-class facilities
• On-the-job training and support by highly skilled technicians at host employers
• Round-the-clock support from a dedicated Indigenous mentor
• A structured training program addressing key fundamentals to enter the natural gas sector
• A solid foundation to build a successful career in a global industry 

We all know that successful mentoring involves sharing common goals and a commitment to building the mentoring partnership as well as mutual trust and respect. 

I help create that level of trust and support for the trainees and employees. We ensured regular mentoring sessions were conducted on both an individual and team level, increasing the retention of employees.

Mentoring the WHS Trainee I was able to provide additional support and guidance in their personal journey and ongoing professional development. Whilst providing mentoring I was able to identify the cultural need to help address barriers to work for the Indigenous trainees faced. Some of the issues were stemming from mental health, systemic trauma, domestic violence, generational displacement, lack of family support, and other challenges. I worked with Traditional Owner Groups, Indigenous Health Services, Employment services, and other key stakeholders like Chinchilla Community Centre to help prepare the trainees with the opportunity of Indigenous Employment.

By me being able to create these partnerships we will help address issues to employment for Indigenous Trainees to help kickstart their career in the natural gas sector with the possibility of an apprenticeship or traineeship. Being involved in the Western Downs Indigenous Traineeship program for 2 years I was able to have a 100% success rate on retention with all trainees and apprentices securing further employment in the natural gas sector and other fields.