Dubbo’s largest private employer Roger Fletcher thinks it’s “terrible” that many teenagers go to university only to become dropouts one or two years later.
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The boss of Fletcher International Exports thinks they “weren’t looking at the jobs they should have been looking at” before enrolling.
This week he helped about 60 teenage students from Dubbo, Narromine and Dunedoo schools expand their career options by throwing open the gates of his grain and intermodal terminal in Yarrandale Road for Green Light Day 2018.
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TAFE NSW coordinated the event with support from the Department of Education and Transport for NSW.
About 250 students from 16 schools were able to tour seven different industry sites in NSW.
Green Light Day seeks to raise awareness of the range of jobs offered by the transport and logistics industry which is reported to have growing “skills gaps”.
In Dubbo, students toured the terminal with Fletcher International Exports transport and logistics manager Sam White, who told of the company using its own trucks and trains to collect product and get it to buyers.
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Mr White, who started working at the terminal almost eight years ago as a labourer, pointed out the many different positions in transport and logistics including forklift, truck and train driving, sales, administration and accounting.
“When people think of logistics they think trucking,” he said. “This is a great opportunity today to show the students that when people say logistics they are not just talking about trucking.”
TAFE NSW skills point support officer at Dubbo, Lisa Austin, said the students’ eyes were being opened.
“TAFE NSW skills point is working directly with industry to identify gaps in training to fill skills gaps in transport and logistics,” she said.
Participating students Nash Rodda,16, and Bailey Williams, 14, of Dubbo College, are keen on following in the footsteps of their fathers who are truck drivers.
This is a great opportunity today to show the students that when people say logistics they are not just talking about trucking.
- Fletcher International Exports transport and logistics manager Sam White
But they gave Dubbo’s first Green Light Day at Fletcher International Exports the thumbs up for providing what Nash called “a wider look at things”.
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