You might be familiar with our Accredited Training program here at TR, where we partner with South Regional TAFE to deliver a Certificate III in Aboriginal Sites Work.
This training has been delivered to a number of rangers, as well as internal staff within TR including our current trainees, Olivia Smith and Elijah Champion.
The training is delivered mostly on-country and is highly practical so that trainees can achieve a nationally recognised certificate with real world experience. With all that being said, do you want to know what it’s like to undergo this training with TR?
We’ve got TR’s very own Heritage Consultant, Olivia, taking us through her experience of accredited training with TR.

The Basics
Let’s start with what’s involved in attaining accreditation.
To put it simply, gaining accreditation involves completing a number of course work units in land management, equipment use, current legislation and understanding cultural protocols and cultural use and care of the land.
When we spoke to Olivia about what she’s hoping to achieve through training, she mentioned that she hopes to gain a better understanding of how heritage work is conducted and how to take care when travelling through country, not only of her own country as an Aboriginal woman, but of other Traditional Owner groups throughout the country.
“Through the training, I hope to gain the knowledge, power and skill to one day be the voice of my own family claim.”
The Day To Day
A typical day of training in the office usually involves getting together with Elijah, another member of our TR team who is also completing training, and the TR training facilitator Ash, to go through the units that need to be completed.
They usually conduct research or site visits within the metro area and then discuss appropriate answers for the course work and brainstorm ideas, which is often seen as invaluable in getting a better insight into the topic, as everyone has differing opinions.
Training also includes highly relevant, on-country work, with regular participation in surveys, workshops and other fieldwork with the TR facilitators. This helps develop necessary skills for heritage and environmental management processes.
Olivia’s favourite part of training is learning new skills, whether it be using new equipment or learning new things about her culture. She says, “it’s interesting to be on the other side of the process and learn about the systems and laws that are in place. It’s also nice to be able to sit with Elijah and Ash and have the discussions to gain a better understanding about heritage work.”

The Challenges
Aside from the regular challenges of time and energy that arise during any sort of training, for Olivia, there is one key challenge that comes up:
“For me, it can be hard to hear about some of the stuff that goes on in heritage work (for example, the fact that Section 18 actually exists!). Being an Aboriginal woman myself and having my connection to the land and my country adds that extra emotional factor.
That being said, I believe in hearing the heartbroken reality motivates me more to complete the training and be the voice of my people.”
At TR, we recognise this reality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people not only in WA but across Australia, and we make it part of our goal to not only provide this high-quality training and services, but to facilitate these communities in creating their own sustainable futures.

Do you want to find out more about our accredited training? Visit our website here or get in touch to learn more.