HomeCouncilTrainees thrive in conservation and land management

Trainees thrive in conservation and land management

Twenty hands make light work as 10 Impact trainees gain their Cert 1 in Conservation and Land Management with help from Bundaberg Regional Council.

When 20-year-old Jesse Sommer suddenly found himself without a job earlier this year, he jumped at the chance to gain a Cert 1 in Conservation and Land Management with hopes to further his industry knowledge and gain employment in the field.

Jesse said during the first half of the Conservation and Land Management program he had already learned new skills and built relationships within the industry.

“Since leaving high school I worked for my parent’s courier business, but when they sold I found myself without a job,” Jesse said.

“So I started looking around in the horticultural industry and this traineeship came up and I thought it would be a good foot in the door and step on a pathway to where I want to be.”

Conservation and Land Management
Bundaberg's Jesse Sommer jumped at the chance to gain a Cert 1 in Conservation and Land Management with hopes to further his skills and gain employment in the field.

Jesse said as he enjoys working outside and learning new skills, and found the program was ideal for him.

“I just like being in the outdoors, you’re always in the fresh air and around people, always learning,” he said.

“The environment is such a complex thing, and it’s good to get to know the ins and outs of it, and what Mother Nature can produce as such.

“We are preserving the areas that Bundaberg people get to see – cleaning it up and keeping it looking as good as possible.”

Jesse said he was amazed with the amount of information he had already learnt through the program.

“Such as a weed is something that is not natural to the area,” Jesse said.

“Learning about weeds came from feeding off the information that was given to us, and I am always asking questions.

“It’s been a good learning opportunity and I appreciate it.”

Jesse said in 11 weeks’ time when he finishes the program it will be nice to know he has helped make a difference within the community.

“At the end of this program, I really hope I can walk out and have that feeling that I’ve made an impact in the region,

“And I can say I have helped improve the areas and made them better for people who are coming to look at them.”

Trainees help community and learn new skills

Natural Areas Officer Sally Obst said the 22-week program was helping locals gain the skills to enter the workforce, while helping the community.

Sally said the trainees were busy undertaking Cert 1 in Conservation and Land Management with a big component being hands on.

She said the trainees had undertaken a number of operational works during the first 11 weeks of the program, including planting natives trees within Baldwin Swamp Environmental Park, and now they were busy removing weeds along the coastal areas including Moore Park Beach foreshore.

“Given the coastal environment is very sensitive we do like to do a lot of hand removal, and that’s why having a team like the Impact trainees is really supportive,” Sally said.

“The hand removal is quite laborious and having 10 trainees and 20 hands makes a huge difference to actually removing a lot of these weeds.”

Sally said the program benefited both Council and the community as it provided the Impact trainees an opportunity to learn new skills to take them into the workforce, but also gave Council the extra hands to help run such programs.

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