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The Maryborough Sun, Thursday 3rd December 2020
Twenty more diplomas for community workers mostly dealt with managing trauma, abuse histories and relevant cultural issues, as well as case planning, referral networks and working within the community services sector to bring about positive outcomes.
JAY FIELDING A GROUP of locals has proved to be a class act, completing important qualifications. Twenty indigenous people have graduated with diplomas, 19 in Child, Youth and Family Intervention and one in Community Services.
“We talk a lot about advocacy, and helping these workers advocate for (children),” Mr Bradford said.
The qualification will lead to new job opportunities and payrises for some, and further study for others. The training was facilitated by local indigenous community development organisation MCDATSIC. It was delivered by David and Angela Bradford from the DaV’ange Group and Bradford Institute of Advanced Education.
“Fundamentally, we do a lot of work on communication skills and how they can develop trust, build rapport and build the helping relationship with these kids in order to be able to actually assist them,” he said.
Mr Bradford said the course helped develop skills and also recognised the experience students had with vulnerable children.
“Just showing up and saying to a kid ‘Do you want help?’ isn’t particularly helpful, unless you’ve actually held rapport and you’ve got the sort of relationship with them that helps you do that.”
He said the training
Mr Bradford said the
graduates could get credit for human services degrees using their new diplomas. Juanita Mason used the training as professional development. Born and raised in Maryborough, the proud Butchulla woman has a background in community services and helps run MCDATSIC. “We create opportunities and pathways for locals to achieve their goals in employment in training, as well as community engagement,” Ms Mason said.
“For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people there are a lot of opportunities out there but sometimes they don’t know how to go about that,” she said. Ms Mason said the organisation was successful in recording high attendance and completion rates at its courses through community engagement, reaching out to locals to
New supplies business is solid as a rock JAY FIELDING
that market’.”
A NEW landscaping supplies business in Maryborough will allow its own to indulge in her real passion.
From HRQ in the City, Ms Kingston sells the quarry’s road base, crusher dust, pre-mix concrete, 20mm aggregate, garden soil with feedlot manure, and topsoil, which is the garden soil mixed with crusher dust.
Nshara Kingston has opened HRQ in the City on Ferry St.
The business also stocks red cypress mulch, hardwood chip and white sand.
Ms Kingston and husband Richard own Hard Rock Quarries in Yerra. “We’re the only familyowned quarry on the Fraser Coast now, and we’re the only quarry that will take residential sales at the moment and unfortunately we can’t take trailers into the quarry due to workplace health and safety issues,” she said. “I was getting a lot of phone calls from people wanting to see if they could bring their trailers in and I said to my husband ‘You know what, I think I need to do something like this to fill
As well as her own, Ms Kingston also has a range of other products made in Maryborough including pavers from Apex Masonry, concrete garden ornaments made by a local craftsman and timber slabs made by Maryborough Woodturners and Woodcraftsmen Guild members, of which she is one. Other products, such as Sunstate cement and Searles soils, are made in Queensland. Conveniently for customers,
HRQ in the City is located almost directly across the road from the popular Fraser Coast Nursery, providing a complementary product range. As well as plans to expand her range, Ms Kingston said she would also be indulging in her true passion of working with wood and repurposing old timber into items like furniture and planter boxes. “I’m all about repurposing,” she said.
Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders recently spoke to the group of locals receiving community services training from David Bradford at MCDATSIC in Maryborough. Photo Jay Fielding
identify their needs. “It’s all about communication and it’s all about that encouragement and empowerment, guiding them to a safe space where they don’t feel shame, where they don’t feel embarrassed, and they feel confident,” she said. “We’re here to build people’s confidence.” Ms Mason said
MCDATSIC also played a crucial role in breaking down persistent stereotypes about indigenous people and employment.
for them to achieve that pathway.”
“Every one of them in this room want to work,” she said.
“This year, people have already got jobs lined up from doing this,” Ms Mason said.
“All the people that we engage with, they want to work. “It’s about creating a space
CRAIG WINTER MARYBOROUGH’S Christmas tree came to life on Sunday as Mayor George Seymour and his family flicked the switch to light up the city. Both Santa Claus and our own Mary Christmas kept guests entertained along with the Maryborough Choir until just on dusk, when the tree lit up.
“Eventually I’ll have pallet furniture and decor upstairs. “I’ve got a few ideas”.
Santa (above) chats to one of his fans and (right) with Mary Christmas under the beautifully lit tree. Photos Craig Winter
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LLEW O’BRIEN MP
Federal Member for Wide Bay Strong Representation. Achieving Results. 319 Kent Street, Maryborough QLD 4650 PO Box 283 Maryborough QLD 4650 07 4121 2936 Tollfree 1300 301 968 Llew.Obrien.MP@aph.gov.au llewobrien.com.au f /llewobrienLNP
Authorised by L. O’Brien, Liberal National Party of Queensland, 319 Kent St, Maryborough QLD 4650
“This will accredit them to go into further employment, as well as being paid their worth.”
Maryborough’s tree comes to life
“I’ve used this as a way to get to my passion, which is a woodwork shed.
HRQ in the City is at 65 Ferry St. For more information, phone 0438 247 843 or visit the Facebook page.
Some participants have done just that.
