NEWS
Friday March 12, 2021
Cairns Local News
Building a career in civil construction
|7
NICOLE GIBSON
DEVELOPMENT for the long-awaited, multimillion dollar East Trinity eco-tourism project has commenced, kick-starting the careers of five civil construction trainees and providing employment opportunities for hundreds more. Stage one of the six-stage, $40 million Mandingalbay Yidinji Eco Cultural Infrastructure Tourism Project started in January and is expected to create about 300 jobs in the community during the construction phase. Post construction up to 120 small business and employment opportunities will also be created. At completion, the project will include three towers - each with their own special attraction and connected by meandering boardwalks, as well as restaurants, a shopping precinct and adrenaline pumping activities like zip lines between towers two and three. Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation IPA Tourism and Infrastructure Manager Dewayne Mundraby said the five civil construction trainees were just the start of the benefits the project would bring to the local community. “It’s exciting in that what we’ll be wanting to do is to become part of the economic region and provide an opportunity for our community and the wider community to be engaged in employment, and also developing small business which will
Childs World Kindergarten students Aurora McGrath & Keturah Wailu with Miss Jamie Childs World Kindergarten Teacher.
Structured play supports learning
Certificate II in Civil Construction Trainee Jabulam Mundraby PHOTO: Nicole Gibson strengthen the region, as well as coordinating the benefits to existing operators,” Mr Mundraby said. The trainees, who are also Mandingalbay Yidinji traditional owners, signed their contracts on Monday and are the region’s first civil construction trainees for Cairns’ only 100 percent Indigenous owned employer, Australian Training Works (ATW). ATW focuses on helping Indigenous youth secure careers in administration, community services, IT and construction.
Managing Director Tony Martens said the project would provide career opportunities in a boom industry for the trainees. “Civil construction encompasses a whole range of different civil type activities like road construction and you can specialize in bridge building, you can specialize in pipe laying,” Mr Martens said. “They will get a bit of an entree on a whole range of different areas of civil.” Trainee Jabulam Mundraby said he was excited to have a
role that allowed him to work on country as well as gain a career. “It’s pretty good landing (this role) cause we’re working on country at the same time and we’re all traditional owners from around that area,” Mr Mundraby said. The trainees will undertake their Certificate II in Civil Construction during the first stage of the project, to be completed by June, then transitioned onto their Certificate III to become fully qualified in the field.
LEADING educators agree, children who participate in a structured Kindergarten program which implements the Queensland Kindergarten Guidelines framework that emphasizes the development of children in the five learning area’s identity, wellbeing, connectedness, active learning and communicating are better prepared when they enter the formal primary school education system. Nicole Hanlon, Director of Education and Learning at Childs World Cairns believes parents can assist their child to develop the skills and confidence necessary to cope better with primary school when they enrol them in a well-structured and professional early childhood education program. “It’s important that children have a safe caring environment that supports the fundamentals of learning. “Children thrive when confronted with activities where they discover, problem solve, explore and play.
“A well-structured program is one where a child feels safe and supported in their learning development. “If structured correctly we will unlock their enthusiasm for lifelong learning: Children who receive quality early childhood education are reportedly more confident and curious, which causes them to perform better in school. Children learn how to manage challenges and build resilience in times of difficulty; settle easily at school to reap the benefits of education faster; and acquire a long-term interest in learning different things,” she said. Activities need to be challenging and varied wherein children will learn about themselves and others, make friends and grow in confidence. They will also develop the building blocks for early literacy and numeracy and important social and emotional skills. For more information or to speak to an Early Childhood education specialist, contact Alison at Child’s World on 4045 4045.
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