Tweed Council’s role as a training ground for talented young people has been highlighted with bucket loads of awards through Programmed Skilled Workforce.
With a host of current and former council trainees and apprentices honoured recently with local, state and national awards, council’s Director Corporate Services, Liz Collyer, said providing increased employment opportunities for young people is a focus of Council’s Workforce Management Plan.
‘We really need to plan for our future workforce needs here at Council and to build on the 13 per cent of employees we currently have who are under the age of 35,’ she said.
‘Council has trained nearly 140 cadets, apprentices and trainees since 1997, including 28 who have gone on to permanent careers at Council after their training.’
Former Council electrical apprentice Corey Goodall was named National Apprentice of the Year and previous Council IT trainee Michael Lever was named National Trainee of the Year.
Now based in Mackay, former Council fitter apprentice Matthew Matulovic was named the NSW Northern Apprentice of the Year while closer to home, current third year horticulture apprentice Cooper Conlan was named the TAFE Parks and Gardens Apprentice of the Year.
Cooper says that being at council has helped him grow and be a lot more confident about what he is doing. ‘It can be daunting starting an apprenticeship and starting at a whole new workplace, but council is a really good place to learn, I’m comfortable here and I’m always asking questions,’ he said.
‘At the moment I’m working down at Lovers Rocks at Duranbah getting to learn very different skills like construction and building as well as my trade as a horticulturalist,’ said Mr Conlan.
‘It’s not a bad office view here, yep it’s lovely!
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