Adelaide City Council and Maxima Training Services partnered to provide opportunities for horticultural apprentices to get hands-on outdoor classroom experience through developing and maintaining Park 25/Narnungga, in the Adelaide Parklands in early August 2013.
Some of the great results so far will be recognised during an event in Park 25/Narnungga today at 11:00am officiated by Adelaide City Council General Manger of City Infrastructure and Public Works, Neil Brown and the CEO of Maxima, David Cockram.
Since August 2013, apprentices engaged by ACC through Maxima have literally gone to school in the park, developing their horticulture skills, learning about conservation and land management, while improving the park’s biodiversity.
Adelaide City Council’s General Manager of City Infrastructure and Public Works, Neil Brown says that there are opportunities for apprentices to secure contract or even full time employment with Council during the fourth year of their apprenticeships.
“The outdoor learning opportunities available through this parcel of land at Park 25/Narnungga really do have long term and wide ranging possibilities for the students.
“Working with our experienced horticulture teams also makes transfer of knowledge and skills in a practical setting very easy, which really helps with future-proofing Council’s horticulture workforce,” he said.
Park 25/Narnungga is in the west of the city opposite the Port Rd railway. Predominantly recreational landscape, Narnungga means ‘native pine place’ in Kaurna. It consists of 31 hectares of land bounded by Glover Avenue, West Terrace, Port Road and the Mile End Railway Lines.
Historically an Aboriginal campsite, Park 25/ Narnungga has had a variety of uses including a temporary encampment, horse agistment, grazing, bowling club facility, sporting grounds SA Water depot, and now outdoor classroom.
Maxima CEO, David Cockram said trainees have the opportunity to put the horticultural theory component of their training into practice on a real live work site.
“We are pleased the partnership with Adelaide City Council is producing great results, and trainees really are learning hands-on in the park, which is something they just could not get sitting in a classroom” he said.
For more information please visit adelaidecitycouncil.com
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