Road to Success
Creating local jobs, skills and pathways across the East Kimberley
Road to Success is a new employment pathway program helping local people across the East Kimberley build skills, confidence and long-term career opportunities connected to the Tanami Road Upgrade Project.
Funded by Main Roads Western Australia through the Tanami Road Upgrade Project, the program is delivered through a partnership between Wunan Foundation and Royal Life Saving Society WA. It has been designed to ensure major infrastructure investment creates lasting benefits for local communities through employment, training and workforce development.
Road to Success takes an “employ first, train second” approach, giving participants access to paid work opportunities while they complete industry-recognised training and qualifications. Pathways may include civil construction, traffic management, aquatics, recreation, community services and other employment streams linked to the Tanami Road Upgrade Project.
The program has been developed in partnership with local Aboriginal organisations and communities, with a strong focus on cultural safety, local leadership and community ownership. It will prioritise opportunities for local Aboriginal people aged 14 years and over, while remaining open to the broader community.
Over two years, Road to Success is expected to create a minimum of 70 first-time employment outcomes across Kununurra, Wyndham and Halls Creek. These opportunities will support people to gain experience, move between employment streams and build pathways into longer-term careers close to home.
How the program works
Road to Success creates practical entry points into employment, starting with recreation-based work and building towards broader career opportunities in civil construction, community services and regional workforce roles.
Participants may be supported through:
- paid employment opportunities
- industry-recognised training and qualifications
- mentoring and practical workforce support
- school-based traineeships, TAFE and future study pathways
- opportunities connected to the Tanami Road Upgrade Project
- recreation and community-based employment opportunities
The program also helps address the challenge of seasonal employment in the East Kimberley by creating pathways that support year-round workforce participation across the region.
Pictured: Recently reconstructed section of Tanami Road
Building skills, confidence and community outcomes
Road to Success is about more than getting people into work. It is about helping local people build the skills, confidence and support networks they need to stay employed, progress in their careers and contribute to stronger communities.
As our Chief Executive Officer, Prue Jenkins said, "major projects like the Tanami Road Upgrade create opportunities that extend beyond construction. Road to Success is designed to support local people into meaningful employment while building skills and pathways that remain in the region long after the project is completed."
Through strong partnerships across community, training, government and industry, Road to Success is building local workforce capability and creating new opportunities for people across Kununurra, Wyndham and Halls Creek.