By Hollie Harris
UNITED Synergies was proud to host their Industry Night barbecue for the ten Tait-Duke Community Cottage construction trainees on Tuesday night and were so impressed with the turnout of supporters.
The evening provided an opportunity for the ten trainees to showcase the progress being made on the restoration of the Tait-Duke Community Cottage and have the opportunity to meet industry employers.
United Synergies Regional Manger East Coast QLD, Danielle Mackenzie highlights the success of the project to date and the importance of securing further work for the ten trainees at the conclusion of the project.
“The 98-year-old Queenslander Cottage was generously gifted to Noosa Council by the Tait-Duke Family and relocated to Earl Street Tewantin with the aim of becoming a meeting and activity space for the local community.
“We selected ten trainees, aged 15 to 55 years of age, from a competitive recruitment process for young people and mature aged workers, who began construction and restoration work in August of this year,” Ms Mackenzie said.
“Thanks to the hard work of the ten trainees and the support of our partners and local businesses – including Bootsco Workwear, Trade Tools, Evolution Screen Printing, Bunnings Noosaville, Kennards Hire, Noosa Landscape Supplies, Bebrok Excavations and Hanson – we are now more than half way through the project,” she said.
Local construction trainee, Bailey Bosoky, says that the project has proved to be an important turning point for him and the other trainees.
“The best part of being a trainee on the Tait-Duke project has been working in such a great team with the other trainees and learning so many new on-the-job skills.
“Our Supervisor, Scott Mackenzie, is the best boss I have ever had and genuinely cares about our career progression following our 19-week construction traineeship,” says Bailey.
If you are a local business and would like to support the trainees by offering employment opportunities, please contact United Synergies on 5442 4277.
The Tait-Duke Community Cottage traineeships are a State Government Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, and the project is a collaboration between United Synergies, Hutchinson Builders, East Coast TAFE, Noosa Council and the Noosa Heads Rotary Club.
