Extreme efforts for water safety training

Royal Life Saving WA has once again proven that it will go to extreme lengths, and places, to deliver its unique Youth Engagement & Employment program Talent Pool! Cameron Eglington, Royal Life Saving Australia National President and expert Talent Pool trainer, travelled throughout the Kimberley recently to provide aquatic rescue training for a group of young leaders from the remote Aboriginal community, Kalumburu.

Thanks to support from the Department of Communities, Royal Life Saving WA and the Kalumburu Youth Team met up at the Home Valley Resort - located along the Gibb River Road - and commenced their journey towards becoming fully qualified lifeguards. The first two days of training were conducted at the Home Valley Station resort and at the Kununurra Aquatic Centre, where eight young women from the Kalumburu Youth Team learned the finer points of aquatic rescue, CPR and general water safety.  

Day three of the Talent Pool program included an enjoyable day learning and training towards completion of the Bronze Medallion certificate at Bindoola Falls - a picturesque natural water hole that could almost double as a 50m aquatic facility - albeit one with freshwater crocodiles!

Participation in aquatic rescue training in such an environment is extremely important in regional WA, where drowning statistics show that people are 3.7 times more likely to drown than those in the Perth metropolitan area. With a new swimming pool set to be built in Kalumburu in the not too distant future, thanks to funding from the Department of Communities, its crucial for local people to become skilled in aquatic rescue along with pool lifeguard, swim instructor and other aquatic training.

By completing this Talent Pool training, participants have been equipped with foundation skills that provide the springboard for them to continue their training to achieve regular employment in the aquatic industry. Talent Pool is unique in that it uses the aquatic environment to engage participants whilst tapping into the strong Royal Life Saving WA aquatic network to negotiate real, ongoing employment opportunities for graduates.

Royal Life Saving WA and the Kalumburu Youth Team will now work on securing support for phase two of their training, which will include Pool Lifeguard and AUSTSWIM qualifications. For further information on Talent Pool or to support Royal Life Saving WA’s efforts to improve employment outcomes for young Aboriginal people please click the link below.