Nearly all the trainees have already either been offered jobs or attended interviews.
Called Breaking Through, it teaches participants about resource processing, sometimes called rock crushing, which is the first stage in any mining operation.
As its name suggests this is the process of crushing large rocks and ore into smaller pieces to facilitate the extraction of valuable minerals.
Assistant Director, Prisoner Employment Programs and Transitional Services, Larry Smith said about 50 companies attended the graduation for the inaugural course.
Nearly all the trainees have now either been offered jobs or have attended interviews.
“These men now have a skill which is in high demand not only in the mining industry but also by local governments, which need crushed rocks for building roads. And all these employers have turned up because they’re looking for staff.”
“When they finish their sentences in the next few months, these prisoners will be ready to step into jobs because they’ve also got tickets or qualifications in electives like working at heights, gas safety and fire mitigation,” he said.
Kim Ngaheu from Bilung Civil Contracting agrees.
“A program like this is invaluable for us. It can be quite difficult to find the guys with not just the experience, but the tickets which are mandatory for working in the construction industry.”
“We’re keen to recruit them as we’ve employed prisoners in the past and found they’re among the hardest workers on site. They’re so keen to prove themselves,” she said.
One prisoner who completed the 13 weeks of training which also includes mentoring in life skills, said it’s given him confidence to go back into the community.
“It’s given me a better chance not only to get a job but to cut off ties with people who might be a bad influence. I’m hoping for a career in mining. That’s my end goal,” he said.
The Department’s Larry Smith said the graduates had worked hard to get their Certificate II in Resource Processing.
“You can see the pride in their faces when they receive their certificates. Many have had difficult backgrounds, so this success is fantastic.”
The Breaking Through program is run in partnership with Reboot Australia, Workskil Australia and Yalagan Registered Training.
