Students from Maindim Yangbala program put skills to test and build mobility access ramp for Broome local

A vocational education program that offers Broome youth the opportunity to learn valuable skills and life lessons has put the students’ expertise towards a good cause. Participants from The Skill Engineer program Maindim Yangbala (minding young fella), in partnership with Broome Youth and Families Hub, paused their own workshop projects to build a mobility access ramp for Broome local, Daryl Stokes. TSE apprentice master Rangi Tunumi said he saw a Facebook post on a community page looking for a wheelchair ramp and jumped at the opportunity. “Sometimes we look for jobs for the kids to do when we have a day off the tools, so when I saw the advertisement on a Broome community page, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for the kids to work together and help Daryl,” he said. “I got permission to go ahead with it, so we started to build (the ramp) and we all finished it together — we didn’t charge Daryl, we wanted to do it as a part of the community and out of the goodness for it.” From gathering supplies, measuring and cutting the materials and adding the final touches, the project not only showcases what they’ve learnt in the workshop, but the positive impact young people can have in the community when given the opportunity. Maindim Yangbala participant Kobe Rose, 15, said it was “pretty fun” building the ramp for Daryl who otherwise couldn’t get up the steps into his home. “(Daryl) had no issues going up, and no issues going down — he loved it,” he said. “I did construction last semester so I didn’t learn any new skills, but I learnt it feels good to help out.” The program, which sees children aged 14-17 years of age who struggle with mainstream schooling or attendance, was introduced to teach students practical and workforce skills in an alternative learning space. While welding and building their own e-scooters from scratch, and embarking on on-country experiences, students also learn how to build timber furniture and garden maintenance at TSE’s Broome headquarters. The headquarters is a space for the participants to access various recreational and vocational opportunities, as well as a place to get a feed, a haircut and have a chat with youth leader Patu “The Bush Barber” Edwards. “They’re coming out of their shell which is the biggest thing for me — you see them at the start when they’re closed off and quite nervous,” TSE acting reconnect officer Taj Pirrottina said. “It took them about three weeks when doing the projects together and now they can see that we’re here to help.” Backed by the Federal Government’s Safer Communities Fund - Early Intervention initiative, TSE and BYFH have collaborated to provide students the support and empowerment they need to thrive. “The opportunity for these kids to give back to the community, something some of them have never had to do, it gives them a sense of pride, a sense of value and worth and wanting to do that again,” BYFH chief executive Melinda Philips said. “There’s something really special that you can’t underestimate the value of giving back to somebody when it’s unexpected, what they can give is a real highlight. “That’s what gets us up in the morning, it’s fantastic, I think alternative approaches for this cohort of kids is a necessity. “The reality is there are kids that aren’t going to go to school and instead of forcing that, we’re working in partnership with the Department of Education to be able to provide opportunities like this, where it gives them a chance to succeed and a chance for them to feel good about themselves. “So to be able to be a part of a program and an organisation that works outside the square for these kids, it’s awesome.”