Pathways to pre-apprenticeships for First Nations people

Pathways to Pre-Apprenticeships for First Nations program ran from June 2024 to June 2025 as a partnership with Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative to build employment pathways and support economic self-determination with First Nations people.

The program helped 31 First Nations people from across the Barwon South-West region, exceeding the program’s target of 20 participants.

The program offered support to join the renewable energy industry and achieve participants’ goals by securing:

• apprenticeships
• training and education
• connections with industry

Worn Gundidj worked with local renewable energy businesses to provide participants with training and wrap around support through to June 2025.

Support available to participants

Through this relationship based, participant-led initiative, Solar Victoria engaged Worn Gundidj to work with and support First Nations young people to develop career pathway plans and transition into further study, pre-apprentices, apprenticeships and work in a renewable energy field.

Worn Gundidj has a strong history of supporting its mob to create better futures for themselves, their families, and community.

To support participants to be job ready, they were provided with:

• One-on-one mentoring
• Pathways plans
• Tailored support
• Connections

Each journey was different and tailored to meet the individual’s needs. The program considered skills, training and other available supports including the important role of families, networks and services to help participants to be job ready.

Worn Gundidj is encouraging First Nations people across the south-west region to reach out and have a yarn with them about this program. Please contact:

Thomas Allen Email: thomas.allen@worngundidj.org.au

Mobile: 0487 899 079

Website: worngundidj.org.au

Program outcomes

In partnership with Aboriginal Cooperative Worn Gundidj, Solar Victoria supported the co-design and delivery of a career pathway initiatives with a target of 20 First Nations young people in western Victoria. The initiative, which exceeded its target, built awareness for participants of opportunities in the renewable energy industry.

31 participants were engaged in the program and ranged in age from 17 to 34, with an average age of 20. Participants had a variety of goals they wanted to achieve. Immediate goals, included obtaining licenses and vocational certificates, while longer term goals ranged from career planning, financial independence, business ownership and more.

Each participant worked with Worn Gundidj to create a tailored plan to reach their goals. Plans were culturally sensitive, incorporated individual circumstances and addressed any barriers faced in sustaining employment or education like access to reliable transport, education disruption and housing insecurity.

Participants were offered site tours, hands-on experience and 1:1 conversations that showed the practical benefits of working in the renewable space. Successful participants have now applied for or entered into apprenticeships and training linked to the solar industry, electric vehicles, construction and large-scale renewable projects.

Worn Gundidj will continue to support participants on their career journeys. Solar Victoria’s support has been essential to building an effective and culturally appropriate delivery model that will continue to be utilised by the provider in future operations.

Our commitment

We acknowledge Aboriginal Victorians have the right to make choices that best reflect them on their journey to self-determination and that it is our responsibility to partner with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians to advance self-determination.

Through Pupangarli Marnmarnepu 'Owning Our Future’ Aboriginal Self-Determination Reform Strategy 2020–2025 we are aiming towards a future where the concept of pupangarli marnmarnepu is embedded, so that Victoria’s First Peoples are in control of their own future.

This project is part of our $11 million investment to deliver a comprehensive training and workforce development program. Its aim is for solar industry workers to have the skills and capabilities to deliver our programs and to support growth in the solar energy industry.