A new school-based traineeship in Harden-Murrumburrah is being held up as an example of the kind of local partnership the Hilltops region needs more of, as towns across the LGA look for practical ways to keep young people engaged, skilled and employed close to home.

The Harden-Murrumburrah Regional Development Corporation (HRDC) is working with Murrumburrah High School to place a local student in a Certificate II in Business traineeship, expected to commence in Term 3. The student will combine one day a week of paid, on-the-job work with their ordinary school studies, earning a nationally recognised qualification and credit towards their HSC.

School-based traineeships and apprenticeships (SBATs) are available to Year 10, 11 and 12 students across NSW, including throughout the Hilltops. They let students work towards a qualification while still at school, with some arrangements also contributing towards the ATAR.

This is a model regional employers across Hilltops Council's area, including Young, Boorowa and Harden-Murrumburrah, are increasingly being encouraged to consider.

HRDC CEO Melissa Pinney said the traineeship reflected a broader opportunity for employers across the region.

“This isn’t just a Harden-Murrumburrah story - it’s something every town in the Hilltops could benefit from,” Ms Pinney said.

“School-based traineeships give local students a real foot in the door, and they give local businesses, wherever they are in the region, a chance to train someone who already knows the community and wants to stay in it.”

Under the arrangement, HRDC's trainee will spend their placement day undertaking hands-on work including website updates, data entry, promotional material and general support for the organisation's community and business programs.

Businesses that take on a school-based trainee benefit from reduced training costs and access to financial incentives, while gaining a worker who is already trained and familiar with the business by the time they finish school; an early opportunity to help shape the skills of the region's future workforce.

Melissa said she hoped other employers across the Hilltops would look at the traineeship model as a way to invest in young people while meeting their own staffing needs.

“We’d love to see this replicated by other businesses across the Hilltops. It’s a practical way to support youth employment right across the region and build the workforce we’ll all need in the years ahead,” she said.

More information about school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, including how employers anywhere in the Hilltops can get involved, is available through the NSW Department of Education.

HRDC will share further details of its own traineeship, including how local students can express interest, through Murrumburrah High School and HRDC’s Facebook and Instagram.