"It doesn't matter what you have previously done in your career, there is always opportunity."
"It doesn't matter what you have previously done in your career, there is always opportunity."
Updated: March 2022
On 14 February Cleanaway’s Driver Academy kicked off in Victoria with a class of eight women from all sorts of job backgrounds making the leap into a career as a driver.
The program is an extensive 13-week training program that includes obtaining a heavy vehicle licence and learning what it’s like to be a heavy vehicle driver.
Academy Manager Chelsea English explains, “We’re taking groups of women and providing them with the opportunity to jump into a new role fully supported for 12 months (and long after). We’re equipping them with the skills, knowledge and licences they need to perform and succeed and we’re helping them to feel like they are a part of something bigger than just driving a truck.”
“It doesn’t matter what you have previously done in your career, there is always opportunity and there will be many people out there waiting for someone to take a chance on them particularly after the devastating global pandemic that left many Australians unemployed. Our academy puts us in a position to provide that chance to those people and that’s what I believe will separate Cleanaway from the rest of the industry.”
Chelsea has nothing but compliments for the first batch of participants, “The group that we currently have going through the training have the best energy. They’re really motivated to make the most out of what they’re learning and the progress they are making is nothing short of phenomenal.”
Pictured: The academy visits various Cleanaway facilities to see how collections are sorted into its various material streams.
The academy kicked off their program with site tours at our Laverton Material Recovery Facility, Melbourne Regional Landfill, South East Melbourne Transfer Station and South East Organics Facility where they were exposed to the waste process after loads are tipped off.
We also organised trucks for the academy to have a first-hand experience at operating the arm of a side-lift under supervision. The excitement around this activity was like no other with the women cheering each other on and other teams coming down and giving them high fives for their efforts. Some of the women looked like they had been operating for 20 years!
Pictured: Participants learning how to operate a side-lift truck arm
The second week of the program saw the women starting on-the-road training with our partner Wodonga TAFE.
With guidance from the trainers, the team slowly but surely started building their confidence behind the wheel with some already getting good at driving on the left-hand side and through narrow streets.
Pictured: The ladies taking a break from their training to take a picture for International Women’s Day
On 18 March, the class of February 2022 graduated! Every member of the team obtained their HR licence and was now ready to get behind the wheel. CEO and MD Mark Schubert joined the group to commemorate the special day. Chelsea was thrilled with the group’s achievement, “Such an amazing program and such an inspiring group of women who are now ready to jet off to accomplish their goals.”
Pictured: CEO and MD Mark Schubert on the far left with Academy Manager Chelsea English front and centre with the graduates
Chelsea reflects on her experience so far working with the group, “The energy this group has is nothing short of phenomenal. They have taught me that growth and comfort do not go hand in hand, and sometimes it takes a challenge to learn more about yourself. The only limits we have are the ones we put on ourselves.”
Chelsea advises women looking for a change in their careers to take the role and “learn as you go”.
“There are too many times we question ourselves and we have self-doubt – when we do this we miss out on some amazing opportunities,” she said.
Cleanaway is excited to be running this brand-new initiative in Victoria to close the gap in the waste management industry, specifically for municipal (residential waste) drivers.
Get paid for 13 weeks of training as you get ready to sit your Heavy Rigid (HR) licence. Be part of the community as you flip bins of general waste, recycling or organics to help create a sustainable future for us all.
Applications are now open for the June 2022 intake.
Contact us to learn more about the next intake of Cleanaway’s Driver Academy and an amazing career making a sustainable future possible together with Cleanaway.