Traineeship provides a pathway for Jacinta and Liam
- Published:
- 22 September 2020 10:53AM
Jacinta’s traineeship changed her life. She’s a proud Gamilaroi woman living in Cairns and managing tenancy services in remote communities across Far North Queensland.
“It’s definitely led me to the workspace that I’m in today, where I’ve travelled to some of the most amazing remote and discrete communities, established relationships working on country, and in communities where English is the fifth, sixth language sometimes,” Jacinta says.
“Being surrounded by culture and cultural practices is just a really unique form of service delivery that I get to be part of here in Far North Queensland.”
Jacinta says her passion for her work is driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to safe and affordable housing. She is now a mentor to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees.
“It’s important to provide pathways for our Indigenous young people who may not have had those pathways identified for them, or felt it was a pathway they couldn’t engage in due to numerous obstacles in their lives,” she says.
“The traineeship is an opportunity to build up our mob and our communities and get some really great outcomes for our communities in the process.”
Liam is a housing officer in the Buranda Housing Service Centre in Brisbane and started as a trainee in Cairns three years ago.
“I finished school in 2016 and tried university. I enjoyed the content, but I wasn’t ready for the assessments and deadlines,” Liam says.
“I chose to do a traineeship with the department—it was something new where I could learn and grow.
“It’s taken me pretty great places so far.
“One of the main things I learned about myself was that I would rather a career that helps people.
“I would encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to do a traineeship like this, especially if they’re not 100 per cent sure on want to do with their future.”
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traineeships are funded through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan. Applications are now being accepted.
The traineeships offer mentoring, work experience and certificate qualifications in business administration, community services, information technology or social housing.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 16 to 25 years are encouraged to apply.
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