Marnan Group aims to give Roebourne, Point Samson and Wickham children local training options

A new organisation is aiming to give Pilbara young adults workplace opportunities including apprenticeships and work placement in hopes of developing the emerging members of the community. Marnan Group, co-founded by Natasha Collins, Rob Collins, Joan Hicks and John Sandy was formed near the end of last year to improve opportunities for students when they leave school. The group aim to create partnerships with local industry, including mining companies, to provide work experience, apprenticeships and school-based programs. Mrs Collins said the idea for the business came from wanting to build opportunities for community members in Karratha’s eastern corridor. “We want to build a stronger community by developing a business that is sustainable for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and give them an opportunity to stay local so we can build a stronger community,” she said. Mrs Collins said local children and young adults were having to leave the town because of a lack of available work in the region. “We want to show them they can work locally, stay in their communities and get the opportunities that others get,” she said. Mr Collins said Wickham and Roebourne had a young population needing opportunities for work experience. Ngarluma woman Ms Hicks said she wanted to see Roebourne children coming out of school to be given opportunities to work locally and work towards making it into a better community.