YOURTOWN trainees from the Scenic Rim today completed their skills training after working hard since September 2 on the Westwood Cottage restoration project at Beaudesert.
The students, aged between 17 and 25, yesterday proudly received their certificates of completion in the cottage which was relocated from its original site on Edward Street Beaudesert last year.
Construction trainer Brett Britnell said eight students had completed the 21-week program but only five were at the graduation ceremony.
"Three of them are at work today," he said. "Tristan Unwin has started his apprenticeship as a painter, Jackson Osborne is plastering and Ky Antcliff has a job with a company that does conveyor belts for a mining firm."
Mr Britnell said some of the other students had job interviews lined up and he expected that every one of the eight young people who did the work on Westwood Cottage would also employment, having honed their skills with challenging tasks including general carpentry, hanging doors, lining floors and ceiling, landscaping concreting, painting and demolition work.
"These young people have done the work," he said. "As well as the interior and exterior of the building they also fixed the rear landing, front steps and concrete path.
"These were all jobs they had never done before."
Students who graduated included Tasha Beggs, Bodie Gallant, Luke McFadzean, Justin Nisbet and Arlette Woodford.
On hand for the graduation were family and friends, Yourtown youth worker Pierre Barrass, operations co-ordinator Peter Mears joined by Beaudesert Museum curator Ian Moss and Historical Society president Susan Weymouth.
Department of Employment, Small Business and Training field officer Paulina Ford was also in attendance to congratulate the graduates.
The project was the brainchild of four Historical Society members who had the idea of moving the house and re-establishing it on the Brisbane Street museum in May 2018.
Ms Weymouth said the cottage was believed to have been a workers cottage for Buchanan's sawmill in Lamington, which was burnt down in the 1920s, after which the sawmill and cottages were brought to Beaudesert on bullock wagons.
The group saw the house as historically important and drummed up support to save it from being demolished.
"With generous support from local businesses, we had raised enough funds by November," she said.
"We heard about Yourtown and applied for the program.
"We provided the materials and Yourtown supplied the labour. We couldn't have done it without them."
Mr Moss said the cottage would be used as a storage and administration building for the museum as well as the Beaudesert Genealogy Group.
