Wollongong City Council extended a warm welcome to their newest cohort of Fresh Start Apprentices, Cadets and Trainees with a morning tea held at their Administration Office in April.

This cohort of Fresh Start Apprentices at Wollongong City Council includes indoor and outdoor apprentices, trainees and cadets. Pictured here with your union’s own Graeme Kelly OAM & South Region Manager, Gary Vann alongside Lord Mayor Tania Brown.

This cohort of Fresh Start Apprentices at Wollongong City Council includes indoor and outdoor apprentices, trainees and cadets.
Pictured here with your union’s own Graeme Kelly OAM & South Region Manager, Gary Vann alongside Lord Mayor Tania Brown.

After welcoming the Fresh Start Apprentices, Lord Mayor Tania Brown spoke of the tireless campaigning undertaken by the USU and spearheaded by our General Secretary, Graeme Kelly OAM to get the program off the ground.

The USU have worked so hard to get this policy in place. I’ve been at State Conferences with them where they have held the Premier to account and raised with the Prime Minister how important this is. To see you all here, the beneficiaries of the program, is wonderful.

– Lord Mayor of Wollongong City Council, Tania Brown

Your union’s own General Secretary, Graeme Kelly OAM congratulated the cohort and wished them a long and happy career in NSW local government.  

Graeme spoke of his commitment to the NSW local government industry, his own career trajectory and what he is working on now to ensure the program continues going from strength to strength.

When Graeme got his start in local government 50 years ago, there were 104 Apprentices at Canterbury Council. Graeme has seen firsthand how steady cuts to local council apprenticeship programs has contributed to the de-skilling of the industry and community suffering.

The Fresh Start Program is about re-skilling councils and communities. We want as much skilled labour as possible in local government.
-Graeme Kelly, OAM

Everyone benefits from a robust Apprenticeship program like Fresh Start because every apprentice, trainee or cadet position funded by the program brings old and new skills and trades into councils and undoes the damage done by decades of de-skilling.

In recognition of the program’s success, Graeme is already campaigning at state and federal level to ensure the program is renewed and continues to grow country wide.

Working with local councils, we can re-skill local government and deliver better services to communities.

-Graeme Kelly OAM

 

This cohort’s outdoor apprentices – union proud and union strong!

This cohort’s outdoor apprentices – union proud and union strong!

Your union’s General Secretary, Graeme Kelly OAM, addressing the group.