As National NAIDOC Week celebrations occurred throughout Australia, John Pearson Consulting celebrated the achievements of a group of students involved in the highly successful Health Workers for Healthy Communities project.

John Pearson Consulting General Manager Tim Robson said the Australian Government funded program developed to address skill shortages was responsible for an even greater impact in Indigenous communities.

"This training program was created because of the recognised need for qualified Indigenous workers to fill vacancies in the health services industry," Mr Robson said.

Don't let the quiet exterior fool you, thanks to the Future Indigenous Leaders Program (FILP), Jardi Davidson has discovered both his Indigenous heritage and a passion for learning.

"My family did talk a little about our culture with me when I was a bit younger, but I wasn't ready to learn at that stage," Jardi said.

"Since doing this program I am really interested to learn more about my culture.

"I have found out that I am part of the Gubbi Gubbi people who are traditional owners of the land on the Sunshine Coast, which is really something special."

Director John Pearson said JPC and its affiliates Look Now Training, and, Indigenous Workstars were created because of his vision to play a leading and valued role in seeing Australia's first people realise their full potential and have the same opportunities as other Australians.

"I find real purpose and meaning knowing that I'm doing my absolute best to address the issues before us," Mr Pearson said.

"We are a company whose people are walking side-by-side, and hand-in-hand, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"During Reconciliation Week especially it is important that we take the time to talk about reconciliation and ensure that we are still focused on addressing the challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

With a love for cooking, Jackie Lettice could not be happier working as an apprentice chef at the Jolly Swagman Restaurant in Goondiwindi.

Not only is she embarking on a career path she loves, but she is receiving a little help to overcome hurdles that would otherwise make advancement difficult.

"I'm loving it," said Jackie recently. "I love cooking food for people and serving them – their comments always make you feel good. "

Talk to the locals in Queensland's south-west, and you'll hear another perspective about the region's rapidly growing resource sector. All is not boom and bouquets.

Yes, there are lots of jobs on offer, but not a limitless source. Many businesses are looking for the right people, but can't always find them.

Joining the program would give him one more line in his resume.

That's the main benefit that originally attracted Aidan Wikaira (below) to join the Future Indigenous Leaders program (managed by Sunshine Coast business John Pearson Consulting).

Through a strong partnership of likeminded people and organisations, a group of South Sea Islander and local Aboriginal (Kabi Kabi) people will have their land revegetated as an offer to ‘give back’ for their hard environmental work over the years.

More and more businesses along the CSG pipeline are seeking to employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

MORE than 60 Year 11 and 12 Indigenous young people from Pine Rivers to Bundaberg are taking their futures seriously.

“FOGS” in Toowoomba took on a new meaning for a group of Indigenous students from Roma State College who visited the city on Wednesday, thanks to some assistance from John Pearson Consulting.

Gaining qualifications in Indigenous Health is just the start for many of the students who recently started an innovative training program with their first residential training block held on the Sunshine Coast.

While earning two Certificate IVs in Health is an important key to career opportunities anywhere in Australia, for many of the students it goes much deeper. They want to bring change, set the example and ensure tomorrow’s generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders enjoy better health and lifestyles.

Look at the Shaw family from Glasshouse Mountains and you see a microcosm of an innovative youth leadership program kicking off this weekend on the Sunshine Coast.

Grant Shaw, who prefers the name “Tank”, is an active leader in the local Indigenous community. When he’s not working as the Indigenous Community Advisor for 12 southern Sunshine Coast schools, he’s selling his own Indigenous art, coaching football teams, or organising the NAIDOC celebrations at Glasshouse. He’s passionate about mentoring and training young people.

The real beneficiaries of a tree planting day organised with assistance from Look Now Training and Employment could only look on and nod.

Earlier this year a host of volunteers, including students undertaking Certificate IV in Conservation and Land Management (CALM), converged on the Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue Park at Beerwah. Coinciding with World Forestry Day, more than 900 native trees were planted and 50 cubic metres of much spread throughout the 1.22 hectare property,

The skills shortage in the Indigenous health and community sector is plainly visible in the employment pages of most newspapers around the country. Government and the community sector are constantly looking for Indigenous workers to fill vacancies in the health services industry.

Three different but like-minded Queensland organisations are combining with other partners for a Queensland-wide project designed to break down the barriers for Indigenous Health workers and address the skills shortage.