Journeys and Pathways: Coming back for community
Recently, I visited the MTC FutureReady Redfern site during their Harmony Day celebrations—one of nine events held across various MTC FutureReady sites to mark the day. The whole site was decked out with decorations and, as I arrived, Bonnie, the SEE Centre Manager, was making sure everything was ready to go before the event started. Each room within the site had its own theme and presentation prepared for the audience who would soon arrive. There was a real sense of energy and community in the air.
One of the first people I met was Melati, MTC’s Industry Engagement Manager with the Workforce Australia team, who took me through the artwork created by participants in the Walanga Muru room, where GADI Services collaborates with MTC to run the Walanga Muru Skills for Education and Employment Program. The Program supports Indigenous Australians gain skills and confidence for further study and meaningful work, through training led by an Indigenous Trainer, supported by a SEE Trainer. Walanga Muru means “follow your path” in the local Dharug language.
Our Walanga Muru SEE Program Participants created a canvas titled Journeys and Pathways, representing their time with MTC. The artwork features handprints made by the Participants—right hands for the men and left for the women. What stood out to me was the deeper meaning behind it. As Melati put it, “journeys are not linear. They are circular, curved, and often unpredictable”.
Melati and the team shared that more often than not, Participants come back to MTC after they’ve finished the program. Sometimes it’s after an initial setback, and other times it’s because they’re still seeking the sense of community they found here.
A clear example of this is Joey. A proud Torres Strait Islander man, Joey joined the GADI SEE Program after months of unemployment in late 2024. At the time, his confidence was low, and he was struggling to find his way back into the mining industry, where he had previous experience.
But within the culturally safe space of the classroom, things started to shift. Joey began improving his skills and rebuilding his confidence. With support from his trainers, Matt and Jacinta, he learned to speak up, take initiative, and believe in his own potential.
I also heard from Melati and the team that Joey is back working in the mining industry for many months now. He commutes once a fortnight to Sydney from Western Australia, to reconnect with his peers in the GADI program. He’s a completely changed man—waking up at 4:30am each morning, heading to the gym, and then off to work. There’s a renewed sense of determination in him that other Participants find inspiring.
What I found just as powerful is his desire to come back to MTC regularly. Not because he has to, but because he wants to. He wants to share his story and stay connected with the team and other Participants at Redfern.
That’s where the magic of the site really became clear to me. It shows how collaboration between Workforce Australia, the SEE team and GADI Services can come together to support someone not just to succeed, but to grow and feel culturally connected along the way.
MTC FutureReady has sites across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT.
If you’re ready to follow your own path, reach out today.
Written by Ankita Som, Communications Specialist at MTC FutureReady.