Capes Region teenagers to undertake traineeship programs to upskill before leaving school

Up to 20 young people from across the South West and Great Southern will undertake an 18-month traineeship as part of a partnership between Rio Tinto and the Apprentice and Traineeship Company. The mining giant will invest $300,000 over three years into the partnership which will see senior high school students undertake apprenticeships. One such student is Eva Russell, in Year 10, who will complete a Certificate II in Workplace Skills. Margaret River construction company Common Ground Trails people and culture manager Katie Hull will train her. Eva said she was excited to get a jump on her career. “My previous work experience at the Margaret River Primary School in a Kindergarten class clarified that my long-term goals are better aligned with a career in Human Resources, which excites me as I pursue new opportunities in this field,” she said. “I’m most excited about having the hands-on experience in the office and the opportunity to work and learn from Katie, giving me a head start in my career before I finish school. “I appreciate The Apprentice and Traineeship Company’s values and their support for funding companies in regional areas to encourage more locals to work locally.” Ms Hull said she was also seeing the benefits to the business through the program. “Although I’m teaching and providing work experience, I’ve found that I’m learning as well,” she said. “It’s great to take on a mentoring role, which you don’t get to do so much in a small business with small teams. “I’m so happy to be able to retain Eva at Common Ground Trails, but I also know that this is a great opportunity for her, and I’m excited about being a part of Eva’s development towards her career goals.” Out of the 10 spots dedicated to the Busselton-Dunsborough area, seven students have already been selected. They come from schools such as Cornerstone Christian College, Cape Naturaliste College, Margaret River High School, St Mary MacKillop College, and Busselton Community College. Rio Tinto general manager of health, safety, environment and communities operation delivery Claire Sommerville-Brown said the South West was an important region to bring in new talent. “With around 40 per cent of the regional workforce residing in the South West, the region is vitally important to Rio’s operations,” she said. “We are strongly committed to giving back and creating opportunities for local youth to develop essential skills that will support pathways to employment.”