mistral - mULTI INDUSTRY SKILLS TRAINING REACHING NEW LEVELS
MISTRAL II’s restoration provides valuable work skills training for young Tasmanians
When the Burton Family donated Mistral II to the Windeward Bound Trust it was in the expectation and hope of seeing her being a training “tool” for young Australians. Mistral II has a way to go before she is ready to put to sea again, however, we at Windeward Bound saw a magnificent training opportunity. Our Managing Trustee immediately set to pen and paper and wrote a synopsis for a training program incorporating the un-restored Mistral and at the same time, attracting some necessary funding to enable it to happen.
The MISTRAL program aims to provide young people, particularly those who have been unemployed long term, with the very necessary understanding of workplace protocols and workplace behaviour. You see, if you’ve never worked in a proper workplace, how do you know what is expected of you. You can be trained to the nth degree, but still not be recognised for your knowledge and skill levels, because you simply have never had the opportunity to learn.
We put the MISTRAL program into action in 2020, after obtaining significant funding from the Tasmanian Government’s Department of State Growth Work Pathways program. This funding will allow us to take two intakes, each of 9 “work ready but not job ready” young Tasmanians, aged nominally between 18 and 25 yo, working normal “job hours” in a structured working environment, with a full-time shipwright as facilitator and instructor. Our first group finished in early 2020 and we are aiming for the second group to begin in early 2021.
The work to be done is both complex and interesting, and it can be emotionally and psychologically rewarding. It will provide more than a normal workplace, in that it will have its challenges and its rewards. It will also provide an avenue for the participants to increase and/or hone their skills by being able to participate in a large number of short courses provided by either TasTAFE or Seafood & Maritime Training, or both. Both organisations have agreed to sponsor short courses that will benefit either individuals, or the group. Young trainees also participate in a 10-day Windeward Bound Youth Development voyage at the beginning their particular program, to boost their self-esteem and create a closer bond within the group.
The training program will use the same principals as those applied to Windeward Bound’s Sail Training and Youth Development programs and will also see an increase in participant’s self esteem, confidence, skill level and job readiness. Trainees working on her will also be able to benefit from other Windeward Bound sail training activities.
Once the restoration has been completed, Mistral II will join our seagoing programs for advanced sail training and will help to extend our reach into the growth and future wellbeing of young Tasmanians. She is a very important piece of Australia’s maritime history. Hopes are to have the yacht mobile enough to celebrate her 100th birthday in 2022.
