Some of the candidates working on their interview preparation
Over the last few months we have been working closely with Lendlease in the Goldfields Region and Main Roads WA in the Kimberley region to put our ‘powering business through community employment’ mission into action by placing three young, local Aboriginal people into a Certificate III Road Construction and Maintenance traineeship.
Regional businesses are in a great position to bridge the gap between industry and community needs through employment outcomes, utilising the local talent and supporting them via entry level positions into the industry.
Both Lendlease and Main Roads WA have a strong commitment to providing real employment and training opportunities to young, disadvantaged and Aboriginal people in WA.
Nudge worked with the local community in Kalgoorlie, Derby and Kununurra to source the right people, interested in a career in Civil Construction who were then placed into an intensive work readiness training program where the candidates were able to gain skills assisting them to be job ready.
This was also a great opportunity for the Lendlease and Main Roads WA local teams to meet with candidates, take them out to see their projects, be involved in a toolbox talk and meet some of the crew they would be working with if they were the successful trainee.
‘Standard’ recruitment practices are not the norm when we are looking at the end goal of retention in the workforce. The level of resources and time Nudge puts in to make this work are intensive and complex but as an employer support agency, we make the process of training, employment and community engagement as simple as possible for the employer.
Lendlease and Main Roads are providing an amazing opportunity for these young people to not only gain a recognised qualification but gain confidence in their ability to work in their own community, acting as a positive role model for other young Aboriginal people. The flow on affect from these trainees being employed in full-time roles for themselves, their family and community is immeasurable.