“When you share, you learn, and when you learn, you share…”
Recently I had the opportunity to travel south to Busselton and Bunbury over two days. With the restrictions on regional travel now lifted by the WA government, the timing was perfect to get out and visit with trainees and employers after 13 weeks.
Nudge has a good partnership with the following employers in the South West region – DBCA (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions – Aboriginal Ranger Program); Fulton Hogan and The Forest Products Commission (FPC). These employers have a number of trainees between them – and they vary from office-based to civil construction, land management/conservation and rangers.
My first stop was Busselton – where I caught up with two mature aged trainees, Mike and Danny (pictured below). Both are doing great work in the ranger program. Their duties include fencing, trapping, re-growth and development, deck building and campsite maintenance.
I then travelled back to Bunbury to see clerical trainee with Fulton Hogan. Mariah is a fantastic young woman who is 5 months in to her traineeship – and has been working on tasks that include data entry, admin support for the busy office. I learned also on this trip that Mariah is a gifted artist!
My next mentor session the following morning was a virtual meeting – this was due to the workplace restrictions on visitors to sites and offices. Eliza is an admin trainee at Cert IV level with the FPC who has already completed a Cert III Business Admin traineeship. Eliza is on reception and supports the busy Bunbury admin office with clerical tasks as well.
I then travelled to Collie to see another ranger, Shannon (pictured at top of the page), who has been busy . She also shared one of the cultural works that she has been involved in and excited by, and this was fantastic to hear.
All of the trainees remained engaged in their traineeships throughout the pandemic, with the support of their employers and their families. All were thankful for having employment / traineeship in these challenging times.
I am always grateful for any time spent with trainees, hearing, listening and learning from them, and sharing with them any of the support and advice that I offer.
I look forward to visiting other trainees in the coming weeks.
Matt Paki | Mentor
Mariah Yarran, Fulton Hogan trainee (pictured above).