Working for the future

GOLDFIELDS Local Learning and Employment Network is calling on young professionals to inspire the next generation of workers.

The Young Industry Ambassador program involves people aged 18-30 from a wide range of jobs sharing their experience with high school students.

Executive officer of GLLEN Dave Burton said the coronavirus pandemic has had a big effect on the number of ambassadors.

“The program has been delivered for over 10 years in the Bendigo, Mount Alexander and Goldfields regions and it was originally created to identify the need for young people who were disengaging from senior secondary school,” he said.

“It’s essentially a peer-to-peer engagement to try and strengthen the opportunities and understanding of the opportunities for young people in local schools.

“At the start of this year, largely due to COVID, we’ve gone from having a decent number of young industry ambassadors down to just one in our region.

“COVID has completely destroyed the membership because there was that disengagement that was just unavoidable.”

Mr Burton said when he started in the role at the start of 2021, he saw an opportunity to redevelop the Young Industry Ambassador program, for young workers to share their experiences and success stories of finding employment during the pandemic.

“We are challenged as a local community even without COVID in ensuring that young people really understand that there is a reason to see an opportunity in training or employment after school, and a reason to stay in school,” he said.

The ambassadors benefit from the program as well according to Mr Burton, with training in “presentation skills”, “public speaking” and “how to self-market” available.

Goldfields LLEN has identified key areas of growth in the region and is seeking ambassadors from industries including healthcare, retail, construction, childcare, and hospitality.

“A massive skill gap that the Department of Education is trying to get ahead of is the introduction of three-year-old kinder and the need for a significant number of early years educators,” Mr Burton said.

“Construction’s one of the largest growths industries in our region, we are always looking for people in that.

“Obviously being the city of gastronomy, we’re very much looking for Young Industry Ambassadors in food services and accommodation.”

With currently 1200 post-school aged people in the Loddon Campaspe region currently not training or working, Mr Burton said it’s important Bendigo industries provide support to the next generation of workers.

“In such a challenging time for them, they’re still willing to support the future workforce and the education of young people in our region to ensure that they’re being set up for future success,” he said.