ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

The Australian Government acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

Indigenous.gov.au Connecting With First Nations Australians
Back to Stories

Kicking goals on site - Isiah Glancey TAPS Plumbing Apprentice

27 July 2021
Jobs, Land and Economy
Two men in white hard hats and green work wear tops stand near each other. In the background is a tree, a fence and buildings in the distance.

Twenty year old Isiah Glancey from Adelaide is on a path to a fulfilling career in the plumbing industry thanks to assistance from the Trainee & Apprentice Placement Service.

Twenty year old Isiah ‘Issy’ Glancey from Adelaide approached a consultant from the Trainee & Apprentice Placement Service Inc (TAPS) in early 2019 at a football game.

‘I’d been working in a supermarket for around 12 months while I looked at my future career options,’ Issy said.

He was keen to learn more about the plumbing industry and how TAPS could help him get involved.

After a pre-employment process, Issy was placed with host employer Hindmarsh Plumbing and they quickly saw an eagerness in him and offered him an opportunity to join the team as an apprentice plumber.

Issy was the first TAPS apprentice to be involved with the National Apprentice Employment Network’s Indigenous Tailored Assistance program.

The program has offered Issy support by providing him early access to tools and industry relevant tickets and training.

He was able to use this training to be a more productive apprentice on site. The confidence this head start has given Issy has been amazing, and it has helped him with his end goal – a trade certificate. 

’I am more focussed and have a more driven attitude towards my career pathway,’ Issy said.

‘I have now set long term goals and I am finding confidence as I get closer to achieving them. I want to work with my host employer Hindmarsh Plumbing for a few years then possibly look to venture out on my own and look to employ my little brother to give him the same opportunity I have to become a tradesman.’

Issy knows that if he stays committed to this pathway it will give him a great foundation to build on, not only as a career in plumbing, but in a lifestyle he can be proud of.

Issy has also been working with the TAPS team to promote the benefits of TAPS.

Shaun Hill is a Field Consultant with TAPS.

‘He has not only been great out on site but is also leading the way with how he has got behind TAPS and been involved in promoting our Indigenous Academy,’ Shaun said.

He was a part of the recruitment drive and photoshoot last November and will be a key figure in the TAPS Indigenous Academy which launched in June of this year.

Being a part of these programs has given Issy a huge confidence boost and it’s given him something he can be proud of.

He is leading the way for other Indigenous men and women looking to embark on a career in the plumbing industry.

While Issy is still in the early stages of his apprenticeship he has hit the ground running and is a valuable member of the team at TAPS and his host Hindmarsh Plumbing.

Find out more

TAPS is a member of the National Apprentice Employment Network (NAEN), which is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency through the Jobs, Land and Economy Programme (JLEP) and Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

JLEP works to get Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into work, support Indigenous business, and assist Indigenous people to manage effectively their land.

For more information, see Indigenous Advancement: Jobs, Land and Economy.