Proud graduates … Andrew Bole and Daniel Johns now have a greater understanding of the environment after completing a Mission Australia program. 58536 Picture: KRISTIANSCOTT
By Natalie Gallenti
The St Albans resident was among a group of motivated youths that completed a 26 week Mission Australia environmental training program that offered young people between 17 to 24 years a combination of work experience, skills development and accredited training to equip them with the skills necessary for employment in green and climate change industries.
Mr Johns, 20, said the course helped him regain confidence in his own ability and made the future seem brighter.
“I never got out of bed before 8am,” he recalled.
“I would sleep until one or two in the afternoon and waste half of my day. But the course motivated me to get up anddo something.”
He said the course, which educated him on horticulture, would also help him land his dream job, a customs officer for the Marine Unit.
During the project the group of graduates worked on the restoration of native habitat environment, revegetation, environmental weed control, water monitoring and flora and fauna surveys at Victoria University’s St Albans campus.
