Barambah PaCE<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\nNoel Haslam realised he had a good worker when Derek Jerome ran to get something he needed for a job.<\/p>\n
Derek, along with Lyndon Hopkins and Charles Speedy, has proven his worth to the Gympie builder for the past 10 weeks as they extended and renovated the Yurri Muntha Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the first opportunity I\u2019ve had to employ young fellas within the community and the boys are keen,\u201d Noel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve very capable at the task at hand.<\/p>\n
“The boys have a laugh too. They make fun of me and each other and keep it light.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noel came to the trade as a 17-year-old Mossman State High School graduate because he liked the idea of doing something different every day at various work sites.<\/strong><\/p>\nHis father, Noel Snr, was a PE teacher and his mum Etta managed the Sheraton Hotel\u2019s laundry at Port Douglas, just north of Cairns.<\/p>\n
It was at this now tourist hotspot that Noel grew up with his two sisters, Sandra and Katie, and their younger cousin Wayne.<\/p>\n
He worked in the laundry with his mother until he applied for a Q Build apprenticeship.<\/p>\n
It was advertised throughout Cape York and Noel beat strong competition for the work because \u201cI pretty much hounded them for it”.<\/p>\n
\u201cI studied the questions and had a few mock interviews with the job agency to prepare for it,\u201d Noel said.<\/p>\n
When he got the job he was sent to Thursday Island and felt nervous to leave home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was lucky because I had family on the Island and stayed with them,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cThey looked after me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noel was then sent to Murray Island to help build a school for four months and a life of travel with the job followed.<\/p>\n
He worked in Cairns, Bamaga, Old Mapoon and other communities.<\/p>\n
He became a registered builder in 2006 after he moved with his wife, Nicole, and their children to Gympie.<\/strong><\/p>\nHe had found himself sub-contracting and supervising worksites so thought he should get paid at the same level as the registered builders he was working for.<\/p>\n
Noel built his supervising experience for the necessary two years then completed written and practical examinations to become qualified at age 32.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen the hard part of finding work began,\u201d Noel said with a smile.<\/p>\n
But it has come in a constant flow and he now hopes to work in more towns like Cherbourg so he can create employment for Aboriginal people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been rewarding for me personally to give these young blokes in Cherbourg an opportunity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve taken it with both hands; jumped at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stressed that school is important and is glad he graduated from Year 12.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cYou have to know how to read and write, make measurements, work with people, make a daily commitment, have common sense,\u201d he said of the benefits a solid education can give people to use within the building industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s stood me in good stead and allowed me to build a future for myself and my family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope to enable more young Indigenous people to do the same through my company.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they need to go to school or further their education through TAFE to get the basics so they can be employed and make a career for themselves; not just for the short term but throughout the years.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/20140617builder2.jpg\" "\\"20140617")
<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Gympie builder Noel Haslam was impressed by Cherbourg workers Charles Speedy and Derek Jerome during the renovations and extensions they made to the Yurri Muntha Caf\u00e9 (Photo: Marcus Priaulx)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Noel Haslam realised he had a good worker when Derek Jerome ran to get something he needed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":71119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[1135],"yoast_head":"\n
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