Seven Indigenous trainees who studied while working on the Pacific Highway Banora Point upgrade graduated from their traineeships on Friday.
Politicians from State and Federal levels and both sides of politics joined to congratulate the magnificient seven.
Federal Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, acknowledged the achievements of the trainees.
“This is a valuable outcome for the seven trainees – they should be very proud,” Mrs Elliot said.
“The graduates have been busy during the last year, backing up the theory learnt in the classroom at Kingscliff TAFE with the practical experience gained on-site at the Banora Point upgrade.
“This achievement is testament to the commitment of the graduates and testament to the commitment of the Australian and NSW Governments in supporting all Australians, including Indigenous Australians, to pursue careers in engineering,” State member for Tweed Mr Geoff Provest added.
Lyle Cora, Joshuah Gannon, Rob Kelly, Michael Kelly, James Mills, Dyllan Scott and Trevor Smith graduated with a Certificate II in Civil Construction and have each been employed full-time by the Banora Point Alliance.
“Despite the fact they are now working on the Banora Point upgrade full-time, the graduates will continue their study, working toward earning Certificate III in Civil Construction,” Mrs Elliot said.
“We are proud of the achievements of these seven graduates and I’m sure they’ll continue to work hard to take advantage of the many opportunities offered in their new careers,” Mr Provest said.
The Banora Point upgrade is a jointly funded project, with $347 million from the Federal Government and $12 million from the NSW State Government
