Ten indigenous job seekers will take part in the Rutherglen Project, a unique and flexible training and employment program, where job seekers will gain a formal qualification in Horticulture.

Launched on Monday 28 July, the Rutherglen Project is an exciting new Community Investment initiative offered by WISE Employment to assist indigenous job seekers.

The 15 week program is taking place at the Rutherglen House, a heritage listed Community Centre operated by Blacktown City Council. The ten participants enrolled in the course will be involved in restoring and attending five different gardens within Rutherglen which will lead to them receiving a nationally recognised Certificate II in Horticulture.

Don Mulholland is an Indigenous Project Officer at WISE and is managing the Rutherglen Project, which he believes will fill a much needed gap in employment and training for local indigenous job seekers.

“We are really excited about this project,” he said.” It has really been a big community effort to get it off the ground,” said Don.

“The job seekers who have been engaged in the project face a number of barriers to employment and so this project aims to provide a unique approach to gaining a formal qualification by offering flexible and practical training, which can be altered to suit each person’s needs.”

The project will give participants a nationally recognised qualification and will also help participants to learn valuable life skills such as team work, time management, taking initiative and commitment to a project that will aid them in their future employment endeavors as well as in their personal lives.

At the completion of the Rutherglen Project, WISE will work with each of the participants individually to help them find gainful employment, and once employed will provide post-placement support.