Our Patron

His Excellency, Dr Ken Michael AC Governor of Western Australia accepted the position of patron of The ROADS Foundation.

A message from our patron:

As patron of The ROADS Foundation, I am very pleased that from the initial concept we have come to this point where the initiative is firmly in place. That journey has been successful be- cause of the tremendous support the Foundation has received along the way - from the State government through Main Roads Western Australia, local government through the Western Australian Local Government Association, as well as the road, transport and construction indus- tries.

The Foundation is an initiative which is to be thoroughly commended. It is about offering youth in regional areas opportunities for training, development and employment in all areas associ- ated with and supporting the delivery and maintenance of civil infrastructure, with an initial emphasis on road infrastructure.

It will offer young people the opportunity to work while undertaking study towards a Certificate III in Civil Construction (Road Construction and Maintenance). It will do so by developing, coor- dinating and implementing traineeship programs.

At its core, the idea for the Foundation was seen as a positive concept that would help over- come an ageing workforce and the subsequent skills shortage that is currently being experi- enced in the State's economy.

I know that all of us here are certain that the Foundation will be successful. While its focus is to develop the road construction industry, it has a grass roots approach to working with regional communities across the state.

And, of course, while the Foundation will help sustain the road construction industry, it will also help sustain regional communities by providing training and employment opportunities for young people. It will ultimately help communities retain young people who might otherwise seek employment opportunities elsewhere.

The Foundation also "adds further value" because the benefits extend beyond just the practical outcome, including such issues as the health and wellbeing of young people in the regions, and the long term strengthening of skills within the road and transport industry into the future. The aims of the Foundation are very clear. They are to ensure that the skills of a highly knowl- edgeable technical workforce are passed on to a new generation of road construction workers and, in so doing, contribute towards the sustainability of Western Australian regional communi- ties.

While there are many people who have contributed enormously to the success of this initiative, I would like to acknowledge, in particular, several individuals whose special efforts have en- sured the Foundation has become a reality. They include Main Roads Commissioner, Menno Henneveld, and Main Roads Executive Director for Operational Planning and Development, Mike Wallwork, as well as the Western Australian Local Government Association President, Bill Mitchell, and Chief Executive Officer, MS Ricky Burges.

To all of you who have given support to the Foundation, thank you for that commitment.