Metro Tunnel Project – Pathway Program
The Major Projects team at AGA Apprenticeships Plus are currently the employment provider for a Pathway Program on the Metro Tunnel project with CYP alongside partners, Holmesglen and Whitelion. The program focuses on disadvantaged young people between the ages of 16 and 25 with extreme barriers to employment, providing a platform for them to undertake a Certificate III or IV in Business which are placed alongside a mentor within various teams on the project.
The program gives a pathway into a project which they otherwise probably would not have had. Working across a project like Metro Tunnel has come with many challenges. One of the biggest was the project environment itself. CYP are working to a deadline and a budget so this has meant that the normal support a trainee would receive can’t always be there from their mentor as everyone has really strict deadlines to meet. AGA have overcome a lot of this with coaching the mentors and educating them on their responsibilities.
AGA have provided 33 employment opportunities through the program so far, and seven participants have completed their qualification. The program has seen AGA support multiple candidates that are indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse and youth at risk.
AGA have specific catch ups with the mentors as well undertaking coach the coaches sessions where the partners in the program come together with just the mentors. This provides the mentors to enter into discussions with other mentors, share ideas, share their frustrations, ask questions with no fear of shame or judgement and most importantly understand that the issues they are facing with their young person that they are not alone. In understanding the issues, AGA have taken a team approach to this program as opposed to having one dedicated field officer. AGA has monthly meetings with the program partners to make sure that they are across everything, ensuring that they are up to date with everything and reassessing if things can be done better.
This program has given AGA a blue print to emulate on other projects wanting to assist from a Major Projects Skills Guarantee and Social Inclusion requirement. This has also allowed AGA to expand their relationship with Holmesglen and Whitelion which has abled them to work across other industries and sectors with these organisations. AGA have attended all the subcontractor forums and any other industry specific events where they can add value to the project.