Kickstart Your Career with Your Local Council

Looking for a hands-on way to start your career, earn while you learn, and make a difference in your local community?
Whether you’re finishing school or just thinking about your next steps, your local council could be the perfect place to begin.

 

What’s the Fresh Start Program?

The NSW Office of Local Government is helping councils across the state hire and support young people like you through apprenticeships, traineeships and cadetships. It’s all about building strong local workforces and helping young people kickstart their career.

 

What’s in it for you?

  • Real-world experience
  • Get qualified while you work
  • Earn money as you train
  • Build a career with long-term potential
  • Make a positive difference in your community

 

How to get started

Fill out a quick Expression of Interest form, and we’ll share your details with councils hiring in your area.

OR

Check your local council’s website for current job opportunities.

Councils manage their own recruitment, so if there’s a good match, they’ll get in touch with you directly.


 

Hear from some current council apprentices, trainees and cadets

Build Your Future Workforce with the Fresh Start Program

The NSW Government is investing $252.2 million over six years to help councils build strong, skilled, and sustainable workforces. Through the Fresh Start Program, we’re supporting the recruitment of apprentices, trainees, and cadets across local government—helping you shape the next generation of talent in your community.

With over 50,000 people employed across NSW’s 128 councils, local government is a major employer and a powerful training ground. Many who begin their careers in councils go on to strengthen local industries with the skills and experience they’ve gained.

Fresh Start is part of the NSW Government’s ambitious goal for 15% of the local government workforce to be apprentices and trainees—with a focus on high-demand roles.

Round 3 opens July 2025

Start planning now to take advantage of this opportunity.

 

Grant Guidelines

The Grant Guidelines contain everything you need to know: from funding eligibility and assessment criteria to how the application process works.

Before applying, please review the:

 

Still have questions? Reach out to the Fresh Start Program team at freshstart@olg.nsw.gov.au we’re here to help.

 

 

Fresh Start Supervisor Workshops

The Fresh Start Supervisor Workshops equips supervisors with essential skills to support trainees, apprentices and cadets through effective communication, mentoring and leadership.

Funded under the Fresh Start Program and free of charge for councils, these workshops have been co-designed with council to build supervisory and mentoring capacity in employees, to better support and retain your new apprentices, trainees and cadets.

About the workshops
Help your apprentice or trainee complete their training by learning how to:

• Workplace supervision
• Understanding training plans
• Effective communication in the workplace
• Emotional intelligence and leadership
• Building inclusive supervision practices
• WHS responsibilities and mentoring essentials (mapped to TAEDEL414 Mentor in the Workplace).

The workshop consists of two full days of in-person sessions (8 hours), followed by two half days of online sessions in the following weeks (4 hours).

If you wish to organise a face-to-face workshop in your region or have any questions, contact the Fresh Start team (peter.odoherty@olg.nsw.gov.au)

 

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