ROEBOURNE STUDENTS GET A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT LOCAL CAREER PATHWAYS

By Lynnese O’Donoghue

Roebourne students have been given a first-hand look at employment opportunities close to home during a career pathways visit to Cherratta Lodge in Karratha.

Students from Roebourne District High School toured the Ngarluma-owned and operated workforce accommodation facility, meeting staff and learning about jobs across administration, housekeeping, maintenance, commercial kitchens and laundry operations.

Cherratta Lodge Site Manager Luke Johansen said the aim of the day was to show young people that building a career did not necessarily mean leaving their family, community or Country.

“I think it’s really important to reach out to local communities, especially the youth, and show them the opportunities that are around them locally,” Mr Johansen said.

Staff from Cherratta Lodge and Roebourne District High School with Students

“A lot of the youth out there might think that their only option is to go to Perth and study and their future is away from their family and away from their Country.

“But we’re here to show them that there are opportunities locally — and lots of opportunities.”

Mr Johansen said students had been asking questions throughout the tour about employment, qualifications and whether being local could improve their chances of gaining work.

His answer was clear.

“They could not be more employable because they’re local,” he said.

The visit also introduced students to the different roles required to keep a major accommodation facility operating, from chefs and cleaners to maintenance workers, administration staff and other support positions.

Cherratta Lodge Facility Manager Dean said allowing young people to see what those jobs actually involve could make careers they had never previously considered feel achievable.

“A lot of people, when it comes to a specific role, don’t really understand the procedures of that role,” he said.

Students engaged in presentation by Cherratta Lodge Staff

“When you start telling them what that role actually means and what the individual day-to-day tasks are going to be, it actually makes it more interesting to them.”

Dean said smaller local businesses could sometimes be overlooked by young people when considering careers in the Pilbara, where major resources companies are often the most visible employers.

He said Cherratta Lodge wanted students to understand that opportunities existed across the wider local economy.

“It’s really important for a local business like ourselves to be reaching out to the local communities and the local schools to showcase what we do,” he said.

The business says local employment is already a major part of its workforce and it wants to continue increasing that involvement.

The students were accompanied by Roebourne District High School staff Jodi and Louise, who work with senior students to explore career interests and employment pathways.

Jodi said experiences such as the Cherratta Lodge tour allowed students to meet people already working in the industry and better understand what different jobs involved.

“It’s just been a fantastic opportunity for them to see first-hand and connect with the experts in the industry and make those connections,” she said.

She said the value of the visit extended beyond students who already knew what they wanted to do.

For other students, seeing their classmates engage with different workplaces could spark curiosity about careers they had never previously considered.

Louise said local businesses opening their doors to students also sent an important message to young people.

“It shows that they care,” she said.

“It shows that they are an important part of the community, and that these young people and their futures matter as well.”

The students were able to ask questions, tour different departments and speak directly with workers about what their jobs involved.

One student with an interest in becoming a chef was particularly interested in the commercial kitchen and the possibility of returning for work experience or future employment.

Another student said opportunities like the visit were important because some young people could be too shy to approach a workplace themselves.

“I think it’s important to think about how many kids get the opportunity, and they might be too shy to reach out and get the opportunity,” the student said.

After taking part in the visit, the student said they felt more confident about approaching employers and considering future opportunities.

Mr Johansen said that confidence was exactly what Cherratta Lodge hoped the day would create.

He said students leaving school could face difficult choices about their future, and simply being able to see a workplace and talk with the people inside it could make those decisions feel less daunting.

“I think that’s what it’s all about — lighting that fire in their belly and getting them excited about what comes next,” he said.

Taking in the oppurtunities that could await, students engaged in Cherratta Lodge career presentations

Cherratta Lodge staff said they hoped some of the students would return for further workplace visits, work experience and potentially apprenticeships or employment.

Mr Johansen said businesses across the Pilbara could play an important role in developing the next generation of local workers.

“We are finding our future employees and working with them while they’re still in school,” he said.

“But for me personally, it’s about being able to offer that opportunity and show people who maybe don’t know what they want to do that there are different options.

“It’s not all about making the dollar — it’s really about making this a better place.”

For the students, the visit offered something simple but important: the chance to see that their future may be much closer to home than they realised.