The Silver Lining Foundation

Private Forestry Southern Qld has signed an MOU with The Silver Lining Foundation.  PFSQ  has developed a Forestry Training program based on our Farm Ready accredited 5 Day Workshop.  This training program covers all the bases of the workshop with particular emplasis on Forestry treatment for sustainability and as a career path for Indigenous youth. 

A training workshop with 13 participants is currently running and PFSQ is actively engaged in procuring commercial contracts for treatment gangs, thereby giving these young people, first hand experience in the workforce and the self esteem and pride which participation brings.

Ergon Energy Corporation provided funding for the building of a Seedling Nursery at the Iron Bark Ridge, with the expectation of commercial contracts becoming available over time.  The Nursery has just engaged a new manager and with new personnel, input and support from PFSQ, – especially Gary Clarke, our Senior Operations Manager, David Menzies and Cliff Raddatz, trainers of the program, – the Nursery is now in a position to begin production of seedlings for Native Forest programs.

This is another avenue which will bring young indigenous people into the workforce and give them a career path which can take them anywhere they choose.

The Silver Lining Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation that offers young Indigenous people work experience and on the job training.

Our Vision is to be respected and acknowledged as a genuine contributor to Indigenous youth by assisting young Indigenous Australians to participate in the workforce.

Our Mission is to provide work experience and on the job training for young Indigenous Australians.

Our Strategy is to:

• Identify business opportunities and build enterprises that are financially self sustainable
• Employ Indigenous youth in those enterprises
• Train them on the job and through related external courses where appropriate
• Enhance their self worth by providing work experience and on the job training.

Our businesses trade under the name: Iron Bark Ridge Services.

Our business objectives are to:

Provide work experience and, where appropriate on the job training, to Indigenous youth either employed by Ironbark Ridge Services or through third party employers.

• Ironbark Ridge services to be financially self sustainable as a business.

Our businesses are located on our 235 hectare property half way between Murgon and Wondai on the Bunya Highway in the South Burnett.

Within our culture:

• The business retains a business culture of employment and on the job training in a “real” workplace;
• There will be no training/school/government agency feel about the business; and.
• There will be an opportunistic/entrepreneurial culture.

 NATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP TRAINING

This training workshop was conducted by Cliff Raddatz and Dave Menzies of PFSQ to enable the young people involved with the Silver Lining Foundation to have a pathway into the forestry industry and to build their skills and development to a level where contracts with property owners for forestry maintenance and treatment can be achieved