Developing career pathways and strengthening the timber and forest industries community profile are key tasks for the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub’s (GTFIH) new Workforce Development Manager Josh Praolini.
The highly-respected education leader, who will join the Hub team in 2023 in this newly created role, has worked in various senior teaching roles, leading innovation and entrepreneurial education.
GTFIH chair Cam MacDonald said Josh’s knowledge and experience would be of huge benefit to the role, which will cover the entirety of the Green Triangle
“Josh will be a wonderful asset to the GTFIH team, strengthening relationships with our educational partners to engage our future workforce,” he said.
“This new role will see him connect community and industry to the school system supporting the Hub in achieving its workforce development strategy.”
In recent years Josh has headed the Entrepreneurial Specialist School at Mount Gambier High School, driving and implementing changes to reflect the challenges students face as they enter the 21st century workforce.
Josh has worked closely with forestry, supporting 130 students in an immersive design thinking challenge, based around forestry in partnership with the Hub earlier this year.
He will be the third generation of Praolini forestry employees in the region, as his Nonno (grandfather) was a contract logger when he migrated to Australia in the 1950’s. His father has also held positions in the sawmilling sector locally.
“I’m looking forward to this new career challenge which will take me out of the classroom, but indirectly still see me support local students and teachers to strengthen educational outcomes for our region,” Josh said.
“It is an exciting time to be involved in the forestry sector which is going through a major period of capital growth, investing in new innovations and technologies to futureproof the sector. I look forward to helping to promote these opportunities in the year ahead.”
Cam said a workforce development committee would oversee Josh’s workplan, operating in the same governance structure as the successful Green Triangle Fire Alliance which is a sub-committee of the GTFIH.
“Since its formation in 2018, the Hub has realised many strategic opportunities. We see this focus on building the workforce of tomorrow as a major priority, improving diversity in all its facets whilst continuously driving the safety agenda,” Cam said.