Parklea Correctional Centre has welcomed 13 new officers, the majority of whom are women.
Parklea Governor Wayne Taylor said he was pleased to swear in the second class of graduates this year, meeting MTC Australia’s commitment to ongoing recruitment to ensure a safe, decent and secure facility.
“It is always an exciting day to welcome new officers into the corrections family, as I’ve found my 35 years in the industry to be a rewarding career and no day is the same,” Mr Taylor said.
“As an important public service, corrections provides a stable career with opportunities for advancement in the various areas that are essential to the running of a prison.
“Correctional officers play a vital role in keeping the community safe and help reduce reoffending, yet they are often overlooked, as they are not as visible as other frontline staff.
“Today enables us to shine a light on their work and thank them for taking this step to serve the community and make a positive impact on those in our care.”
Mr Taylor said the seven women and six men graduates were as diverse as the community they will serve, coming from various fields, different cultural backgrounds and ranging in age from 19 to 42.
“The type of person attracted to becoming an officer has vastly changed over the years, with Parklea staff representing many different cultural backgrounds and 40 per cent of our workforce are women,” Mr Taylor said.
“The diversity of our custodial and non-custodial team enables us to work more effectively with inmates from similarly diverse cultures and backgrounds in what is often a challenging and dynamic environment.
“The Parklea team bring all these things together to make a difference by employing MTC’s decency and respect principles and BIONIC (Believe it or Not I Care) philosophy.
“I’m delighted to welcome our new officers into the Parklea family and I look forward to working with them.”
MTC Australia’s Initial Training Course is a rigorous 10-week training program, which covers subjects such as policies and procedures, de-escalation and use of force tactics, mental health and general first aid. Trainees also participate in simulated search and emergency response exercises and weapons training.
MTC is recruiting for more officers now.
To apply to become a correctional officer, go to: https://www.mtctrains.com.au/careers/
Parklea has been operated by MTC Australia on behalf of Corrective Services NSW since 2019.
