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YNOTS is a tripartite initiative between YBE, Alcan Gove Pty Ltd (formerly Nabalco) and the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Students graduate as licenced equipment operators with a Certificate II in Open Cut Mining (Metaliferrous), a nationally accredited course. Many are placed in full-time employment. while others choose to return to their homelands to apply their newly learned skills.

As a training scheme YNOTS is unique and uses innovative techniques to reach successful outcomes.

Within the 30 week training program the first 8 weeks are undertaken in an informal relaxed atmosphere, allowing trainees time to familiarise themselves with classmates, trainers, and course expectations. As the training intensifies specific tasks with deadlines are set and trainees assessed on their time keeping and initiative.

Individual encouragement and constructive feedback is deemed crucial throughout the course, not only building personal confidence but instilling commitment to the program. Exceptional individual performances are regularly acknowledged, to the rest of the group and publicly through the local press.

 Cultural Day

At an early stage in the initial program the benefits of communal meals were recognised. This then led to a monthly ‘Cultural Day’. Held on a Friday afternoon with BBQ the trainees would became the trainers. These sessions included hunting, fishing and golf, the trainers reciprocating with a ‘cultural experience’ of their own.  

Cultural day has improved understanding, allowed assimilation and increased respect between cultures. Both Yolngu and English names are used when talking to trainees and the trainees give their trainers Yolngu names, again sharing cultures.  

The Real World

Towards the end of the course trainees are given the sole responsibility of planning and carrying out ‘real’ works with minimum supervision.  This activity helps build teamwork, self-esteem and confidence.

These projects are carried out in or near to the trainees own homelands. The trainees feel enormous pride in being able to do something for their people and being able to say “we built this road” or “we made that boat ramp for our people”.  A further indication of the dedication and commitment to these projects is the unpaid hours the trainees are prepared to put in, in order to complete the jobs to their satisfaction.

To summarise, when YNOTs trainees graduate they leave the program with more than a certificate. Graduates from YNOTS go to their new professions and back to their communities with a genuine sense of achievement and feeling of pride of being a part of YNOTS, a pride they continue to display by wearing the YNOTS badge and cap.