I am a passionate and vocal believer in the fact that as a community, we are better when we work together. One of the areas where that is most true is in our employees at Council.
Kempsey Shire Council is proud to be one of the biggest employers in our Shire, with a vast majority of our staff also members of our community. We are incredibly proud of our workforce and our staff culture at Council. It was recognised when we were awarded Employer of Choice by the Macleay Valley Chamber of Commerce this year.
And now Council is once again looking to grow a new generation of local staff via new traineeships.
Taking advantage of Commonwealth Government incentives, Council has expanded on the successful trainee and apprentice program that has been built over many years by welcoming trainees in new areas of the organisation.
Already this year we have recruited trainees in project management, waste services, finance, customer service, administration and automotive administration, in addition to a number of apprenticeships.
We are currently recruiting for trainees in the water and sewer operations, the library and our communications team, with more to come over the New Year period.
Council's traineeship and apprentice program has been running for many years and many of our former trainees have gone on to have long and fulfilling careers with the organisation. We love that these traineeships regularly convert into permanent Council roles.
The expansion of recruitment reflects Council's renewed focus on growing our local workforce. Providing opportunities for locals and rebuilding our workforce is a key priority for Council.
There is always a case for sourcing skilled staff from out of town, but we're determined to balance that by recruiting and training the amazing people in this Valley. We do recognise that it's good to bring new workers and families to town, but we also prioritise supporting our current population via job opportunities, and in some roles there's really just no substitute for local knowledge.
Winning the Employer of Choice Award was a great reflection of our emphasis on hiring, retaining and advancing great people. But we can always do better. For example, in the draft Reconciliation Action Plan that is on exhibition at present we also have support for an increase in the percentage of Aboriginal identified staff employed by Council.
Strong local representation in our staff is vital, and further evidence that Council is in the community working for our community.
Council hopes to add more positions in the coming months, and those wishing to keep track of current and future job opportunities are encouraged to head to Council Careers
