Renewal SA’s Works Program has combined with Civil Train SA, Department for Education, Student Pathways and Careers and Workabout to deliver a four-week introduction to civil construction program for year 10, 11 and 12 students at Kaurna Plains School in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

Made possible by funding from the Department for Education, 12 students graduated from ‘The Paitya Program’ with invaluable experience, a white card, supervised learner-driver hours, and real-world exposure to the civil construction industry.

‘Paitya’ translates to ‘deadly!’, ‘wow!’, ‘amazing!’ or ‘awesome!’ in Kaurna Warrapiipa (Kaurna Dictionary, 2021) and was unanimously named and workshopped by students from Kaurna Plains School during their Kaurna language lessons, serving as an homage to the 2026 NAIDOC Week theme ‘50 Years of Deadly’.

To deepen participants’ understanding of First Nations culture and connection to Country, Renewal SA engaged representatives from RAW Heritage to share stories, history and discuss the importance of respecting land during civil and earth-moving activity.

Beyond training and theory, participants engaged in activities designed to prepare them for careers in civil construction including hands-on experience delivering a project at their school. The students constructed a practical mud kitchen designed for fellow students to mix dirt, water, sand and other natural items to simulate cooking.

The students were led by Trainer/Assessor Annie Hiskey, whose registered training organisation Civil Train SA offers quality training and development opportunities for civil construction and allied industries.

“These programs are just so valuable when it comes to getting more people in this industry and we know we need feet on the ground now,” says Mrs Hiskey.

“Even though it’s only been four weeks the confidence in the kids has just grown and I’ve seen them come out of their shell.

“Kids learn in different ways and these 12 participants really want to get in and get their hands dirty - they’re practical, getting out into the elements, digging and having something to show for it at the end which is just so good about these programs.

“With the huge pipeline of infrastructure projects happening right now in South Australia, they’ll be able to understand and see civil construction in the real world.”

Sarah, a participant in the program, is thankful for the mentorship through the program and mud kitchen project.

“We’ve all learned a lot from Annie including all of her knowledge and passing it down to us and letting us get an understanding of what we need to do,” she says.

“It’s been really good.”

The group was also invited to an immersive tour at Civil Contractors Federation SA Centre for Excellence in Gepps Cross where they controlled simulated construction plant equipment and participated in a working at heights demonstration to gain a feel for the different roles and challenges on a construction site.

Part of the program also featured a site visit to Munno Para Downs hosted by civil contractors T & J Constructions.

Despite the blustery conditions, the students walked the site followed by the valuable chance to network with civil construction workers while asking them all the hard-hitting questions about their role.

“It’s really important that they come out to site, see what it’s actually like, get their boots dirty and feel the clay underneath,” says T & J Constructions Business Manager, HR and Procurement Donna Boerema.

“Young people are the future and there’s obviously a lot of demand for skilled workers but unfortunately, they’re not always available when you want them.

“So, training and development is incredibly important to the industry.”

Towards the end of the program Renewal SA’s Works Program outlined next steps to gaining work experience.

“We‘ve consistently seen how successful and motivating programs like these can be for students who thrive in hands-on environments and are looking for a pathway into the construction industry,” said Manager, Works Program Ashlee Wilton.

“It’s all about providing opportunities and opening up pathways, and we thank all program partners for their dedication, collaboration and commitment to making the program a success."

Providing an important milestone for participants to work towards, the program concluded with a graduation ceremony at the end of August, bringing together participants, their families, sponsors and program partners to celebrate and reflect on their collective achievements.

Kaurna Plains School Secondary Pathways Leader Joshua Young hopes the program will continue to make an impact on the Kaurna Plains community for years to come.

“The attendance has gone through the roof for the students and has improved out of sight,” says Mr Young.

“It’s been a really good opportunity for the kids at school to participate in a program like this and step outside their comfort zone.

“This sort of program makes them think about their pathways a bit deeper and while civil construction might not be for everyone, we’ve had three or four indicate interest in a potential career.”

Since 2008, the Renewal SA Works Program has provided thousands of training opportunities in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.