BEDFORD resident Isaiah Klunder has won the Department of Emergency Services’ (DFES) Aboriginal Trainee of the Year after completing a six-month program.
The 21-year-old, along with Bellevue resident Chris Narkle, Mason Nicholson of Byford, Michael Stobie-Morris of Leederville, Shaunece Jetta of Beeliar and Dakoda Hansen of Kelmscott, graduated with a Certificate III in Public Administration on July 30.
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READ NOWTrainees rotated through several DFES departments including the Aboriginal Advancement Unit, human resources, information and communication technology (ICT), strategic volunteering and youth programs and media and communications.
DFES have granted the trainees further 12-month contracts as public service officers.
Mr Klunder said he was surprised to win the award at a packed ceremony.
“It felt very different – I don’t really win awards,” he said.
“First off, I was in the Aboriginal Advancement Unit and then I was in the Media and Communications and now I am in the ICT department.
“The plan for me is to continue to stay with the ICT department and become an ICT officer and hopefully get a permanent position.”
The Edith Cowan University cyber security student said he was looking forward to continuing working in the ICT department as it was relevant to his degree.
“I am not 100 per cent sure what I am going to do but I know with DFES and the opportunities that they have given me will help me prepare for more things I can possibly do in the future,” he said.
There has been a three per cent increase in Indigenous employment at DFES in the past year.