The Royals developing talent in Northern WA
Talent Pool is the Royal Life Saving Society WA’s youth Engagement, Training and Employment initiative that positions the local community swimming pool as the vehicle to engage and develop first time employment opportunities for Aboriginal youth throughout all corners of Western Australia.
The program recently expanded to the Kimberley, with a group of local young people taking part in an extended Bronze Medallion course at the Kununurra Leisure Centre, which aimed at equipping them to deliver a program targeting other youth in the area.
They will also complete an Aquatic Trainer course, to be conducted in Lake Argyle, preparing participants with the skills required to deliver Bronze Medallion sessions as a trainer running their own private business in the region and on behalf of Royal Life Saving WA.
The aim of the program is to build local capacity to deliver critical water safety skills that lead to local employment opportunities for young people, while also teaching them how to stay safe in, on and around the water.
Research has found that the drowning rate amongst Australian Aboriginals is three times higher than other Australian children aged 0–14 years and is ranked the second-most common cause of injury death. By enabling this group of Aboriginal young people to learn skills to provide employment pathways in the aquatic industry, Royal Life Saving WA hopes they can become mentors to other young people in their community, ensuring that swimming and water safety skills become a priority for Aboriginal children.
Travis Doye, Royal Life Saving Society WA Senior Manager Workforce Solutions, says: “Talent Pool is unique in that we start with the end in mind, striving to provide real employment outcomes for graduates. Through programs such as Talent Pool, we’re building an alliance of Local Government Authorities that are committed to providing opportunities for local Aboriginal youth.”
“Royal Life Saving WA is also seeking interest from Local Government Authorities or other relevant organisations that are interested in being involved or contributing to the broader development and delivery of Talent Pool.”
For more information on The Royal Life Saving Society's impact in The Pilbara, please click on the link below.
