AFTER two years Campaspe Shire Council's Jo-Ann Bramwell is a graduate of the Regional Building Surveyor Internship Program.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Echuca resident was one of five surveyor interns from across regional and rural Victoria to graduate from the final intake of the program.
Ms Bramwell said the program was very worthwhile and was a great achievement.
"Being from a regional and rural area we don't get to see high-rise construction and it was mainly high-rise construction that we looked at," she said.
"It was really good."
Interns were provided with direct work experience which supported them in building their skills while working on real projects.
She said the program was aimed at addressing a shortage of building surveyors in rural and regional Victoria.
"(We gained) hands-on experience doing inspections for high-rise buildings," she said.
"It is extremely important to have that. It is massive from that point of view.
"It allowed us to meet the people from the Victorian Building Authority and build up a repertoire that way, and build up contacts.
"That is a big part of it, too."
Councils were able to apply for funding of up to $20,000 over two years to employ one building surveyor intern.
The program received $75,000 in funding from a Local Skills Partnership Program and $25,000 from the Victorian Building Authority.
The program will not be continued next year and Ms Bramwell said she was disappointed.
"It is a really valued program, so they really need to get something in the pipeline going to get it started again," she said.
"You wouldn't have the building surveyors or inspectors in regional areas (without the program)."