Ten Narrabri Clontarf Academy students have completed a new three-day course to build their practical work skills and awareness, thanks to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and Inland Rail.
The Year 10-12 students took part in a ‘Working at Heights’ and ‘Confined Spaces’ course held at Narrabri TAFE between 21-23 March, 2023 to help them progress with their training and encourage them to further their civil construction studies.
The ARTC partnership with the Clontarf Foundation supports the education, training and employment of Indigenous youth in communities along the Inland Rail alignment. Students undertake industry specific training before finishing school, in the hope of gaining employment in the construction industry, or even on Inland Rail after their school years.
“ARTC Inland Rail supports the Clontarf Foundation’s goal of improving the education, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of our Indigenous youth, and together, through the Inland Rail Skills Academy, we are providing structure and daily support for Indigenous youth in schools across Australia,” said ARTC Inland Rail Acting Chief Executive Rebecca Pickering.
“Inland Rail is not only changing the way Australia moves freight but is acting as a catalyst for positive change in many regional communities along the rail alignment.”
“A major focus of Inland Rail has been to build skills in these communities to maximise the potential for local participation in this once-in-a-generation project and others in the future.”
ARTC Inland Rail is providing $500,000 in funding, over two years, through the Inland Rail Skills Academy to support fourteen Clontarf Academies along the rail corridor in Queensland and New South Wales. This funding is helping to boost school retention, develop leadership skills and create pathways to employment through training opportunities for Indigenous regional youth.
“We need to have people ready to capitalise on the opportunities that Inland Rail will bring, and the Inland Rail Skills Academy is about facilitating opportunities for those willing to take the first step on that journey”
“We are committed to playing our part in upskilling the nation and ensuring that different groups of people are given the opportunity to help build Inland Rail,” Ms Pickering said.
For more information, visit www.inlandrail.artc.com.au/opportunities/education-and-scholarships
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