Charles Darwin University is venturing into First Nations Jawoyn communities in Northern Australia, providing welding training and expertise to locals.
An industry experiencing a national shortage; welding skills are all the more important in the northern regions of Australia, making these training programs across 50,000 square kilometres of Northern Australia extremely beneficial.
“The nationally-accredited welding training has helped to build confident, skills and workplace credentials of the Aboriginal men,” CDU Agriculture and Rural Operations Lecturer Jonny McGannon said.
“But the course benefits – technical knowledge and tangible skills – will also flow from the individual course participants to the wider community.
“The learned techniques for fusing metal together can be used in Jawoyn communities to advance exiting industries and, potentially, foster new industries, providing alternative sources of income.”
The courses are being offering through CDU’s Katherine Rural Campus, with accredited welders now working in nine Jawoyn communities or clans.
These are Banatjarl (King Valley), Rockhole, Werenbun, Manyallaluk (Eva Valley), Kalano, Kybrook, Jodetluk (Gorge Camp), Beswick (Wugularr) and Barunga (Bamyili).
The remote Jawoyn country spans from north-west Katherine to Pine Creek, south to Mataranka, and north-east to Bulman which includes pieces of Kakadu Natiuonal Park and Arnhem Land.
Course participant Samson Andrews planned to teach his welding skills to First Nations students with the Learning on Country program with Aboriginal ranger groups and 15 schools (including two Jawoyn schools) in remote communities.
“It is this combination of curriculum and culture that will support remote Aboriginal students to walk strong in two worlds,” Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation Group Human Resource Manager Amy Murphy said.
“For instance, Samson will teach Jawoyn students how to construct metal cages for feral animal management through the Learning on Country program.”