Cheyenne, 18, is a trainee at Boral, working as a scheduler, booking in trucks, and ordering aggregate and bitumen for road projects. She graduated from Motivation Foundation with a Certificate II in Civil Construction. She won a Civil Contractors Federation Certificate II Trainee of the Year 2021 award and is working on her Certificate III Civil Construction qualification.
When she started high school Cheyenne, who loved sport and travel, did not have a career in mind. Later, she had such a positive experience with Motivation Foundation vocational trainers, she decided on civil construction.
“The trainers always made me feel like I could do things,” she says. “That motivated me to try harder at school. There was always a push to get better, lots of encouragement. And Boral offers opportunities to move around and try different jobs.”
Cheyenne says civil construction can feel a bit overwhelming, but she loves her job and earning money. She would have no hesitation in recommending civil construction to others, including girls, and says persistence is crucial.
“I’d say, make sure when you get on a pathway, stick with it, don’t give up,” Cheyenne says. “A lot of people give up. My parents have encouraged me to keep striving, to keep trying even if I get knocked back. Things won’t always work out but try again.”
Cheyenne says while a lot of her friends are still trying to work out what they want to do, she is getting qualifications, meeting good people and earning money. “When you go into the industry the things you learnt at Motivation Foundation really help, it’s given me more confidence.”
Construction Training Fund funds training places at Motivation Foundation. Motivation Foundation, started as Ertech Construction Academy in 2008, offers secondary students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to transition from school to work. The program ensures participants get the training and skills they need, including becoming job ready. Students complete a Certificate II Civil Construction pre-traineeship while they are still at school, the program coaches and mentors and links young people with future employers.
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