Growing Our Own: Seven New Apprentices Join Woorabinda Council
Published on 05 October 2026
Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council is proud to welcome seven new apprentices across key trades, marking another important step in Council’s commitment to creating local employment, developing skills and building Woorabinda’s workforce for the future.
The new apprentices are:
Carpentry:
- Shaquille Roberts
- Peter Barry
- Clinton Roberts
- Rachel Oakley - Woorabinda’s first female carpentry apprentice
Mechanic:
Plumber:
Painter and Decorator:
Mayor Terence Munns
Mayor Terence Munns congratulated the seven apprentices and said creating opportunities for local people was something the whole community could be proud of.
“This is about giving our people opportunities to learn a trade, build a career and create a strong future for themselves and their families, right here in Woorabinda.
I congratulate Shaquille, Peter, Clinton, Rachel, Keripo, Robert and Lebron on taking this opportunity.
We are proud to see you stepping forward and look forward to watching you do amazing work for our community.
It is also a particularly proud milestone to see Rachel commence as Woorabinda’s first female carpentry apprentice. I hope this encourages other young women in our community to look at trades and know that these career pathways are open to them too.”
CEO Kevin Bell
CEO Kevin Bell said the new apprentice intake was part of Council’s broader commitment to workforce development and building greater capability within the organisation.
“Council has identified the next 10 years as a significant opportunity to grow our own skilled workforce.
We want to develop the skills our organisation and community will need into the future, while providing genuine pathways for local people to gain qualifications, experience and long-term careers.
These seven apprentices represent the first group coming through this renewed focus.
Our goal is not simply to create jobs today, but to build qualified tradespeople, future supervisors and leaders who can continue contributing to Woorabinda for many years to come. This is Council delivering on our workforce development commitment through real opportunities, training, professional development and succession planning.”
Council congratulates all seven apprentices and looks forward to supporting them throughout their training and watching their careers develop.
