Seqwater is one of a number of organisations and agencies supporting a Skilling Queenslanders for Work – Work Skills Traineeship project, coordinated by not-for-profit community group Envite Environment.

As part of the initiative, trainees work with Seqwater Field Rangers to help deliver a number of habitat restoration and management projects across the Hinze Dam catchment.

In addition to working at Seqwater sites, volunteers rotate to work at other sites, such as the Queensland National Parks in Numinbah Valley, David Fleay’s Wildlife Park and the PCYC Bornhoffen Leadership Development Centre.

At the end of the 18-week paid traineeship, participants receive a Certificate I in Conservation and Land Management. 

Seqwater Southern Regional Operations Manager Joseph Meissner said the first group of participants to learn at Seqwater completed their training earlier this year, with the second intake nearing completion as well.

Mr Meissner said traineeship participants were given access to the Hinze Dam native plant nursery and to sites around the catchment to help Seqwater rangers carry out various tasks such as revegetation, native plant propagation and walking track maintenance.

“Seqwater is proud to partner with Envite to support this great initiative to help kickstart careers in the conservation and land management sector,” Mr Meissner said.

“As a major landowner in South East Queensland, Seqwater is very active in managing and maintaining our catchment land and the recreation use of our sites.

“Our Seqwater employees have been very impressed by the focus and commitment shown by these volunteers in learning new skills while improving these local environments.”

Envite Environment Senior Environment Coordinator Maree Thompson said more than 70 per cent of trainees from past teams had been successful in finding work after completing the traineeship.

“So many different people are interested in traineeships, including people who have had jobs impacted due to COVID-19 as well as those in irregular casual work or those looking for a career change,” Ms Thompson said.

“We had 98 applicants for the latest Skilling Queenslanders for Work traineeship team – but unfortunately were only able to offer nine places for the latest intake.

“The mentoring and support provided by organisations and agencies like Seqwater is valued as it enables trainees to gain a diversity of real-world work experience and training.

“Being supervised and mentored by qualified staff is also beneficial as it builds trainee’s knowledge and skills which assists in gaining work.”

Trainees who are motivated and keen to work in jobs including bush regeneration, plant nurseries, landscaping and conservation are encouraged to apply at envite.org.au/traineeships.