Nine local students have graduated from an engineering pre-development program designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people transition into employment.
The organisation, DGT Employment and Training, has collaborated with businesses across the state, several of which are in Logan.
Participants of the program learn essential skills, such as power tools and basic welding.
They also gain their White Card certification and are given resume advice and job interview training.
Kande Vesper, a Meadowbrook local, recently graduated from the program and has a full-time job with Beenleigh Steel Fabrications and may soon be starting an apprenticeship.
“My favourite part of the program was discovering metal work is my new passion,” Ms Vesper said.
“The people I met in the program and outside of the program really made me want to keep coming back and learning more.”
Ms Vesper has strong aspirations for her future.
“I’ll hopefully have my own crew of women,” she said.
“I want to create a space where women feel comfortable working in what’s considered a traditionally male-dominated industry because I understand some of the struggles we go through.”
Beenleigh Steel Fabrications Stakeholder Liaison Graham Nuttall is a strong advocate for the program.
“We need to keep training young people to come up through the ranks to learn and be part of our future,” Mr Nuttal said.
“I would encourage any employer to participate in DGT’s Engineering a Career program and reap the rewards at the end of the day.”
Another Logan local, Rhiontay Dennis, started work at Frontline Manufacturing two weeks ago and said she was “loving it”.
“It’s a big change, but it’s easy once you get used to it,” Ms Dennis said.
“I get to learn a lot about the machines – it’s really good.”
She said the DGT program was important to First Nations people and she was proud of the work she had done.
Ms Dennis’ boss and the director of Frontline Manufacturing, Daniel Green, is impressed by the program and its participants.
“The effort DGT has put into this program is extremely impressive and the dedication of them to get this program off the ground,” Mr Green said.
“For young people entering the workforce who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, I am in admiration of them because it’s quite a daunting introduction they went through.
“It’s not easy for a young woman, straight out of school, to come into a metal fabrication workshop with tradespeople, which is heavily male dominated and I would certainly struggle with it.”
Mr Green said that he, as the employer, had the easy part.
He said it was hard to find employees in this climate and he was grateful to Ms Dennis and DGT.
“It’s a win-win for us,” he said.
“The onus and the impressive actions are on the job seeker.”
