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Kyara Simms takes flight with Aboriginal Employment Strategy traineeship

03 February 2021
Jobs, Land and Economy
A head and shoulders view of a young adult woman with hair drawn back in front of a plain yellow, beige background.

Bidjigal woman Kyara Simms shares her experiences as an Aboriginal Employment Strategy trainee.

Kyara Simms is one of a growing number of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have reaped the benefits of an impactful Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES) school based traineeship to kick-start their careers.

The Bidjigal woman from Nowra, like Tom Caita-Mandra, also completed her school-based traineeship with her local Commonwealth Bank branch.

Traineeships like Kyara’s offer coaching and mentoring, an industry recognised qualification, as well as hands-on paid work experience with a host employer across a range of employment sectors and industries.

‘This wonderful opportunity has been life changing for me because at the beginning of Year 10 I had serious doubts about completing Year 12,' Kyara said.

‘The traineeship gave me a goal to work towards and the experience I’ve gained through my traineeship has helped me become more independent.’

Over the past 24 years, the AES has provided more than 25,000 employment opportunities and 2,500 Traineeships and Apprenticeships to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in urban, regional, rural and remote locations.

The AES Traineeship program is one of the organisation’s most successful initiatives. It creates significant contributions to employer workplaces and their customer experiences. More than 50% of AES graduated trainees go on to achieve full-time employment with their host employer, while many others go on to undertake university study or further training, or full-time employment with a new employer.

‘It’s an impressive show of resilience, commitment and grit to see so many young Indigenous people across the country successfully complete their traineeship in such an unpredictable and chaotic 2020,’ said AES CEO Kristy Masella.

‘They navigated this year exceptionally well, they completed their HSC, their formal traineeship, worked part-time, supported their families and communities, all during COVID. We couldn’t be prouder of them.’

The AES has over 50 new school based traineeship opportunities available for 2021.  Full Time Apprenticeships and Traineeships are also available throughout the year.

Find out more

Aboriginal Employment Strategy is the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment service. The AES programs empower Indigenous people through brokering employment opportunities and supporting candidates to have successful careers through mentoring, coaching, training and specialist support. The AES now operates 13 offices nationally.