04 Dec Palm Island Residents Dialled into a New Future
(Thanks to the TAFE Queensland English Language and Literacy Services and the Commonwealth Government’s SEE team for this story)
Twelve students from the First Nations Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program at TAFE Queensland have secured employment with Telstra as part of an innovative program located on Palm Island. TAFE Queensland is supporting a Queensland State Government Initiative to establish Digital Service Centres across regional Queensland locations which will be operated by Telstra.
Training was provided at TAFE Queensland’s Palm Island campus over twelve weeks, which saw SEE students complete two weeks of employability skills, followed by a tailored ten-week “boot camp” focused on building skills for a particular industry. Across the ten weeks, SEE students were introduced to the language and numeracy skills required for call centre operations, along with other vital digital and workplace skills.
Upon completion of the twelve-week course, SEE students commenced a traineeship and enrolled into a Certificate III in Business to upskill further. Growing confidence combined with tailored training around their upcoming field of employment provided a strong foundation for getting them job-ready at a national company, with students confirming the course “boosted the confidence I have in myself to strive towards a rewarding career” and “coming together and communicating as a team has really helped me”.
This is the third program of its kind, with two additional cohorts soon following suit at Palm Island.
The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.