Council calls young people to kickstart their career

Locals are encouraged to apply for a traineeship or apprenticeship with Western Downs Regional Council as the successful ‘Kickstart your Career’ programme commences for 2023. This programme is a fantastic opportunity for growth and development in starting a new career.

Having successfully provided employment to eighty-nine (89) trainees and apprentices since 2018, the programme is a testament not only to Council’s commitment to increasing the region’s workforce but also to strengthening the skillsets of those workers now and into the future.

Applications for this popular programme have now opened with twenty-one (21) positions being offered across the region, commencing in February 2023.

Councillor Ian Rasmussen, Council Spokesperson for Finance, Corporate Services, and Business Strategy, said the programme is a great opportunity for our region’s youth to join our local workforce and gain a wide variety of practical skills and experiences.

“The ‘Kickstart your Career’ programme is a fantastic initiative which provides successful applicants the opportunity to study whilst gaining valuable skills and hands-on experience, which in turn can help open the door to a fulfilling career in our region.

“Our young people are the workforce of the future and Council recognises the value of providing training and career avenues to keep our young people in our region and to continue to grow our strong and diverse economy.

“Council has the ability to provide the region with ample career opportunities thanks to the agile and responsive business model upon which Council is built.

“There are a variety of positions on offer, spanning business and IT roles, through to parks and open spaces, water operations, civil construction, and diesel fitting, as well as opportunities for those who identify as having a disability.

“We receive wonderful feedback from our trainees and apprentices, with many of them finding success in gaining formal qualifications. It will be great to see another group of young people kickstarting their career with Council.”

First year IT Trainee Alex Bjorkman had previously worked in the retail industry and said that the ‘Kickstart your Career’ programme had given him a sense of direction as well as opportunities to further his skills in areas which interest him.

“During my time at Council I have been encouraged and supported in my learning and given opportunities to further my education while I continue to build my skills.

“I have really enjoyed learning about how Council’s IT department operates and how things work in the background – I have taken my passion for technology and built valuable skills. I am also enjoying working for Council because I have gained new-found confidence in myself. I have learnt to work within teams and it has been a great opportunity to be able to grow professionally.”

Council’s apprenticeships and traineeships are available as part of the ‘Kickstart your Career’ programme and include the below positions, with applications closing Friday 16 September 2022:

2 x Apprentice Diesel Fitter — Dalby and Tara 2 x Water Operations Trainee (Treatment) — Dalby 2 x Parks & Open Spaces Apprentice — Chinchilla and Dalby 4 x Civil Construction Trainee (Maintenance / Construction) — Tara, Dalby, Chinchilla and Miles 6 x Business Trainee — Tara, Dalby, Chinchilla and Miles 1 x Information Digital Media Technology Trainee — Dalby 2 x KickStart Disability Trainee — Regional 2 x School Based Trainee — Regional

To find out more about Council’s traineeship and apprenticeships programme or to apply for the 2023 intake, visit wdrc.info/kickstart or contact Council on 1300 COUNCIL (1300 268 624) for more information.

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