Trainee Clare Pankhurst outside the Paddle WA office
Traineeships getting young people job ready
As we celebrate International Youth Day, Royal Life Saving WA has the privilege of working with many young people across our state, building their futures through traineeships in the sport and recreation industry. Some of these trainees engage with us through their high school years, while others come to us as individuals wanting to develop skills that open doors in the aquatics industry.
The aquatics, sport and recreation sectors provide opportunities to have more than just your typical nine to five job. Working in these industries suits those who love to be active and engaged with their community, making a positive impact by enabling people to stay active and healthy.
Royal Life Saving WA is currently working with 23 trainees – 11 in the Perth metro area and 12 in regional WA. These trainees are completing training across three different qualifications – Certificate II and III in Sport and Recreation and Certificate III in Aquatic and Community Recreation. These traineeships last for 18 months, with individual trainees working on a full-time basis, while school-based traineeships are completed one day a week.
Harley Osborne and Shania Quartermaine completed their traineeships last year, a Certificate III in Aquatic and Community Recreation at City of Melville’s Leisurefit Booragoon. The pair are both now employed full time as Aquatic Supervisors and are a fantastic example of where these fun, interactive traineeships can take you!
Current trainee Clare Pankhurst is another young person with amazing potential, who is set to complete her Certificate III in Sport and Recreation in March next year. Clare is currently working with Royal Life Saving WA trainer Wendy Quint to complete the training at Paddle WA and says it was a logical next step for her. “I was already doing instructing with Paddle WA and wanted to get qualified to do that. The training has been great and super easy because our office is based right next door to the Royal Life Saving office. My training with Wendy has been easy to follow, well set up and really enjoyable.”
When it comes to the future Clare isn’t yet sure what it holds, but knows it will be great! “I’ll just be glad to have the training under my wing and I’m really happy to keep doing what I do now. Paddle WA is a really enjoyable place to work, I love instructing at schools and with different groups of kids. It’s different every day and a lot of fun.”
Royal Life Saving is keen to work with more schools and individuals to assist trainees in developing the skills they need to take up the many rewarding positions available across the aquatic and sport and recreation industries. The aquatic industry is currently battling a skills shortage following the COVID shutdowns across the industry and is keen to see more young people take on the challenge of a career in aquatics.
You can find out more by visiting the link below.
