Year 11 Helensvale State High School student Declan Keen is relishing the opportunity to pursue a school-based traineeship with one his favourite retailers, City Beach at Helensvale.
BUSY At Work Managed People Services Team Leader, Vanessa Parry said the sixteen year old had always been passionate about surfing so it was no surprise to see him excelling in his traineeship.
Declan commenced his school-based traineeship at City Beach in September last year after successfully progressing through the BUSY At Work and City Beach recruitment and selection processes.
“We recognised that Declan had a passion for surfing and we felt that he was a stand out for this position as his personality and lifestyle completely reflected the City Beach style and culture,” Ms Parry said.
Declan is part of the Indigenous school-based Mentoring Program which is funded by the Australian Government under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS).
The IAS is designed to meet the aspirations and priorities of individuals and communities and achieve better results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in three priority areas – getting children to school, adults into work and building safe communities.
City Beach HR/Traineeship Coordinator Katie Ames said City Beach was pleased to offer a national school-based traineeship program to help students commence in the workforce.
“City Beach is passionate about aligning our brand with youth based programs and giving back to the local community.”
“As a youth retailer, we love being able to offer students their first job in the retail industry and give them the opportunity to gain the skills and experience necessary to build a career with our company.”
“After hearing about the Indigenous Mentoring Program, we are excited to partner with BUSY At Work for the program and welcome Declan into to our Helensvale store team,” Ms Ames said.
“Declan has been a great asset to the store over this time and we have really enjoyed seeing him grow personally and professionally through his traineeship and the mentoring.”
“Declan has really embraced the additional support offered to him through the Indigenous school-based Mentoring Program. He has been a committed and reliable employee and always willing to take on feedback to improve his performance.” Ms Ames added.
Katie said City Beach was delighted with the support they had received from BUSY At Work.
“We have enjoyed a very positive experience with BUSY At Work throughout this program. They have been very supportive every step of the way from assisting with recruitment through to monitoring Declan’s progress and regularly providing updates and feedback throughout his traineeship,” Ms Ames said.
Declan said he had gained a lot of experience in a number of different work areas in the store and was looking forward to completing his certificate later this year.
BUSY At Work CEO, Paul Miles said BUSY was pleased to see a young person being given an opportunity to learn new skills and gain a Certificate III in Business.
“It is extremely exciting to see Declan enjoying the challenge of learning new skills and performing really well in his traineeship.”
“Improving education and training outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will not only give them a great start to their working career but will lead to a better future for their family and the community,” Mr Miles said.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator
0438 173 960 leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au
