Council welcomes new trainees

Five new trainees have started work with the Charters Towers Regional Council as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work First Start program.

The trainees will work in library services, visitor services, marketing and communications, records management, and corporate administration, while they gain a nationally recognised qualification and 12-months paid employment.

Council also appointed a first-year diesel fitting apprentice.

Mayor Frank Beveridge said it’s a great initiative for Council to be involved with.

“This is a good opportunity for these trainees.

“It provides immediate job opportunities, encourages people to enter skill-based training, keeps locals earning and learning, and helps create a pool of skilled workers as the economy grows,” Mayor Beveridge said. 

The First Start program is funded by the Queensland Government and is designed to provide education and employment opportunities to young people and disadvantaged job seekers.

The five trainees are part of the 400 new traineeships being created across local councils in Queensland.

Mayor Beveridge said this program helps to set up the trainees with a career.

“Over 97 per cent of trainees who worked at Council under this program have successfully gained the required outcome of a qualification or statement of attainment.

“About 20 per cent of those trainees are now working for Council, while the remaining have either found ongoing employment elsewhere or continued with further education,” Mayor Beveridge said.