Two former Serpentine Jarrahdale Grammar School students will be the first employees as part of a new initiative to increase employment and training opportunities for young people within the Shire.
The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale welcomed Gemma Worboys and Scott Shaw earlier this week as the inaugural inductees of its one-year traineeship program.
Shire president Michelle Rich said the pair would receive on the job training across different areas of local government and will finish with a nationally accredited Certificate III in Business Administration once the year was up.
“As a Shire we are acutely aware of the need to create a diverse range of employment opportunities for young people entering the workforce,” she said.
“Through this program, we’re hoping to equip our newest employees with skills and experience they can call upon throughout their careers.
“In return, we believe we’ve found two excellent young members of the community who will put their best foot forward for the Shire and our residents.”
Both Miss Worboys and Mr Shaw said it was an amazing opportunity and one they were looking forward to start.
“This opportunity will allow us to learn and grow our skills within the business sector and gain practical experience,” they said.
Ms Rich said while the program was a great opportunity for those selected, the Shire was committed to ensuring as many people as possible could live and work locally, without having to travel outside of the region each day for work.
“Creating more local jobs is a key focus of the Shire’s Strategic Community Plan and something that is integral to meeting the needs of a rapidly growing population,” she said.
“This means we need to promote a robust and diverse local economy and help local businesses thrive.”
The Shire was hopeful of growing the traineeship program into the future.
