Building career pathways in essential services

West Arnhem Regional Council (WARC) has created career pathways to allow our local Indigenous employees to upskill to become the next wave of Utility Support Contract (USC) workers in their Communities.

Current staff, in particular works crew, have the opportunity to gradually upskill and undertake formal training until they are qualified and ready to step into the USC roles. Where literacy skills may be a barrier, this training is also provided. 

The journey starts by ‘shadowing’ the current USC Officer who will serve as a mentor and guide to progress from observing to performing the tasks in a supervised, hands-on environment.

Brendon, who is the USC Assistant in Warruwi, said, “When I applied to become the USC Assistant at Warruwi Community, I was curious about the roles and purpose about the USC. So I have applied and was fortunate to get the role. My first few weeks I had so many questions but was pretty hands on from which I was able to develop some skills and confidence.  As an optimistic and ambitious person I have attended work every day with a strong will to build more skills and confidence within myself, which I will be able to educate and create a pathway for more people in our community in the future.”

Peter Hussie, USC Operator in Warruwi, who is currently training Brendon is excited to share, “Brendon is proving to be an outstanding trainee with his commitment to the job. His willingness to do any job with a good attitude and his ability to comprehend the underlying principles of how the systems work. This shows that Brendon has a bright future within the USC role.”

By the time USC Assistants have completed this journey, they will have all of the formal qualifications required to be an integral part of serving their Community through this essential role.

West Arnhem Regional Council’s foundational pillar in their strategic plan is to increase local Indigenous employment across the West Arnhem region.