Bega Valley Shire Council is excited to announce two upcoming forums designed to foster long-term employment pathways for cadets and trainees within the local civil construction and trade industries.
Council CEO, Anthony McMahon encourages local civic construction businesses, trade sector stakeholders and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to attend one of the two-hour forums - Eden on Thursday 17 July or Bega on Thursday 24 July.
"This is a great opportunity to hear about Council's training program which focuses on developing local talent for broader regional employment," Mr McMahon said.
"We want these forums to connect Council trainees with local businesses and stakeholders, while also promoting awareness and participation in training and opportunities to access contract work form Council.
"While Council is committed to addressing skills and staff shortages through our cadetships and traineeships, our training program is so much more than that," Mr McMahon said
"Retaining skilled professionals and tradespeople in our community strengthens our capacity to deliver services, bolsters the local workforce and boosts the Bega Valley's economy.
"Each forum will include representatives from Training Services NSW providing guidance to businesses on how to engage with and support traineeships and apprenticeships. They will offer practical advice on involvement and the benefits that are crucial for sustaining the workforce in regional and rural areas.
"Businesses and individuals will learn how to become contractors with Council, including details on VendorPanel registration and usage.
"The networking session will offer attendees targeted discussions on key topics with experts and facilitators, providing a valuable opportunity for questions and answers.
"These forums will support cadets and trainees to connect with the local civil construction and trade industries, paving the way for future employment opportunities with strong community ties."
Mr McMahon said Council is proud of the work it's doing in developing skilled engineers and tradespeople in the Bega Valley.
"Our training program includes our cadets and trainees visiting local high schools and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to share their personal experiences and the projects they are working on, with the aim of inspiring students with a range of exciting career opportunities," Mr McMahon said.
"Recently our cadets attended the University of Wollongong (Bega campus) discovery day where they led an engineering session for local high school students and shared their experience of what it is like to work for the community while studying a university degree.
"And we are constantly looking to leverage new government grant programs aimed at supporting local government trainees and cadets, to create even more career opportunities.
"So join us in these crucial forums to build strong connections and pave the way for a prosperous future in the civil construction and trade industries in the Bega Valley."
Eden Industry Forum – Thursday 17 July at the Eden Log Cabin from 4pm to 6pm. Registration is required.
Bega Industry Forum – Thursday 24 July at the Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre from 4pm to 6pm. Registration is required.