A group of four young graduates from the inaugural Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative (GEGAC) Academy have been congratulated on their commitment to training and starting their journey to become the next generation of community leaders.

Janaya Hood, Corinna Harrison, Shanika Hood and Rhiannon Hayes graduated from the GEGAC Academy in mid-March after completing training, job shadowing and work placements, all key components of the Academy program.

GEGAC chief executive officer, Jamie Williamson, said the Academy provided opportunities for young Aboriginal people to gain accredited training and employment.

“We’re very proud of the four young ladies and even prouder to retain them in our organisation because they’re all future leaders in their own right,” Mr Williamson said.

“They have experienced both personal and professional development and a lot of exploration on their own personal journey and potential career journeys.

“We have also completed recruitment for the second intake of the GEGAC Academy which includes five young men and women, which we hope to kick off in mid-April.”

The GEGAC Academy was established at the start of 2018 with the aim of providing a traineeship program for local Aboriginal people, including training and coaching around work skills, personal and leadership development, cultural experiences, career planning and transition to study, as well as increasing the percentage of Aboriginal staff employed at GEGAC, across all levels of the organisation.

Learning and development manager, Lynda Capes, said the program was a finalist in the statewide Wurreker Awards and winner of the East Gippsland Business Awards in the Supporting Youth Employment category.

“The long-term aim is to extend the program to include organisations external to GEGAC as part of the job shadowing/ placement and employment options,” Ms Capes said.

She said the trainees had identified their career paths in nursing, family services, quality and compliance and maintenance and had commenced formal accredited study in Diploma of Nursing, Cert IV Community Services and accredited maintenance-related units.

Ms Capes said all four trainees had grown in self-confidence and were still engaged in full-time employment at GEGAC, with senior Department of Health and Human Services staff offering to mentor the trainees.

Cultural elements underpin the program and each trainee had a mentor who checked in on them around cultural aspects and provided them with support.

In her graduation speech, Rhiannon Hayes thanked those who saw something in her that she didn’t.

“Thank you to those who not only encouraged me but pushed me when my spirit wanted to give up,” Rhiannon said.

“The drive and passion I have to not only give back to community but to help create a community where we can be proud of where we are is what keeps me grounded.

“Culture, education and self-determination is what I strive for and what I truly believe is going to help the next generation overcome the ever-growing issues we face on a daily basis.

“To remember that the youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow and to encourage and support them to be strong in identity and culture is what is going to help our community be strong in mind, body and spirit.”

PICTURED: Inaugural graduates, Janaya Hood, Corinna Harrison, Shanika Hood and Rhiannon Hayes recently graduated from the inaugural Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative (GEGAC) Academy and were presented with a traditional possum skin with a burned design.