The recent Bricklaying Pre-Apprenticeship Program at Playford Alive provided its participants with hands on training and nationally-accredited units from the Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying (Partial) (CPC30111). This program successfully saw 15 of its participants graduate and was another wonderful opportunity to see the positive results the Renewal SA Works Program and its partners continue to deliver to the community.
Since 2008, the Renewal SA Works Program has been providing employment and work experience opportunities as well as training and employment programs to Playford Alive. The first programs proved so successful that in 2012, we extended them into our Bowden project and in 2014, to Tonsley Innovation District, Our Port and The Square at Woodville West. More recently, its successfully been implemented at Lot Fourteen and the Adelaide Railway Station.
This Bricklaying program was run in association with the Playford Women’s Shed – a volunteer operated, unfunded organisation, started in 2020 by Raelene Wlochowicz when she wanted to learn new skills and make new friends but found her only option in the area was a men’s shed. Men’s Sheds are community-based, non-profit organisations which provide a safe space for men to work on projects.
Using donations and a $1000 grant, Ms Wlochowicz established the Playford Women’s Shed to assist women in need and provide a social hub for women of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. This casual drop-in space offers craft workshops, cooking classes and opportunities for migrants to learn English as well as providing short term accommodation for women in need.
Renewal SA staff members Ashlee Wilton, Mark Bayly, Elizabeth Budic, Mick Bozo, Treza Drewett, Scott Heyward, Angela Spiliopoulos, John Yin, Maria Kuchel, Daniel Baillie and Mark Collins with Raelene Wlochowicz from The Playford Women's Shed
As a part of the Bricklaying program, the participants built four raised garden beds for use by the Women’s Shed for gardening, with the intent to establish a veggie patch to be used by the community as well as a brick BBQ.
Following the great work of the program participants, the Playford Alive team stepped in to assist the Women’s Shed by providing and installing soil to these garden beds along with some mulch and seedlings. Smaller garden beds, also built as a part of this program, were filled with soil in preparation for the April school holiday program which will see children plant and complete these.
