Seizing opportunities: From trainee to trusted mentor

Monday, 27 May 2024

Telesha Darcy entered the Aboriginal Traineeship Program to find a new career path and four years later has landed her dream job.

Now a Cultural Consultant with the program that kickstarted her journey at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Telesha is relishing her role supporting the 2024 trainee intake.

The initiative has been expanded this year for the first time since 2020 with nine trainees recruited by the Department to pursue their education and career goals.

Telesha draws on her lived experience and cultural knowledge to mentor the participants as they work towards a Certificate III level qualification and ongoing employment.

From civil engineering and construction to project management, administration and customer services, the Department offers diverse career opportunities across South Australia.

Telesha, a proud Narungga woman, started her traineeship on the back of a pre-employment course at Tauondi Aboriginal College and a stint in mining at Prominent Hill.

She said her traineeship was a stepping stone to administration roles in building projects and the program that gave her a start.

“I have worked my way up and I try and show the trainees that,’’ she said.

“I always tell them, ‘stick to your training and the doors will open up’. It was amazing how many places I could have gone but I always said I wanted to give back to the traineeship program and now I’m here.’’

The expansion of the initiative is among a raft of key Reconciliation Action Plan achievements by the Department over the past year, including:

• An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employee Summit exploring how the Department can help employees feel safe, respected and valued through professional development opportunities
• The Walpaara Anpa Awards initiative providing the 200^th laptop to Year 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to bridge the digital divide
• Creation of a maps tracking the Native Title Boundaries for the entire state
• Development of the Aboriginal Engagement Plan.

Senior Cultural Consultant Vonda Last said the traineeship program was vital for nurturing talent.

“Having these entry level pathways is really important to be able to recruit and hopefully retain staff who want to continue their development with the Department.”

In National Reconciliation Week, the theme Now More than Ever reminds us that the work continues.

“Now more than ever, let’s stay focused listening to Aboriginal people’s voices, supporting them and in your own ways, have those conversations with people,’’ Vonda said.

“There are people who would like to know more but don’t know where to find information or what questions they should be asking.

“Now more than ever, keep talking and educating people.”