Young locals keeping it green

Twenty young locals are ready to get amongst it to help the environment following the launch of two new Green Corps projects last week.

Green Corps is a training program for 17 to 20-year-olds, which allows them to obtain a Certificate 1 in Conservation and Land Management, contribute to environmental works in their local communities and gain skills relevant to future careers.

The new recruits to the Illawarra branch of the initiative have been split into two groups of 10 and given separate tasks to complete by the end of the training in six months time.

One group will be looking at sustainability in the Illawarra by visiting local community centres and completing sustainability audits.

The process will help to determine whether the centre’s water and energy is being used as efficiently as it could be.

The second group will be working in Pucky’s Reserve in Wollongong, regenerating bush in the area.

Green Corps Co-ordinator Ben Wolhuter said that about half of the participants in the program usually pursue an environment related career after the training, but said the participants learn skills that will help them no matter what they decide to do.

“I think one of the best things they get out of it is transferable skills,” he said.

“They get great teamwork and leadership skills.”

Part of the program is helping the young participants work out what they want from their working lives and giving them practical ways to pursue those goals after the course, Mr Wolhuter said.

More than 18,000 young people have joined Green Corps since its inception, planting more than 14 million trees and building more than 8000 kilometres of fencing.

Participants are paid an allowance by the Australian Government while they are part of the Green Corps.

The two new Green Corps projects for the Illawarra were officially launched last week at the Botanical Gardens in Wollongong.