New youth mentoring employment program for Cairns

Published Saturday, 24 June, 2017 at 08:00 AM

Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment
The Honourable Curtis Pitt

Young jobseekers and recently employed young workers in Cairns are set to benefit from a new mentoring program to help them gain and retain employment, Treasurer and Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt has announced.

Mr Pitt said the $900,000 Sticking Together pilot was welcome news for young Cairns workers, jobseekers and a win for local employers.

“The unemployment rate in Cairns is now at its lowest point since June 2009 which is cause for optimism but it’s clear more needs to be done specifically to get young jobseekers into work,” he said.

“We’re tackling unemployment head-on through initiatives such as the new $900,000 Sticking Together initiative.

“This will see 30 young local jobseekers and recently-employed young people aged under 25 participate in the Cairns pilot program.

“Those selected will be provided with one-on-one coaching and mentoring support for 60 weeks.

“The coaches will also work with employers to help them deal with situations that can lead to an employment relationship breaking down.

“This is about building the skills, confidence and resilience that can help young jobseekers and workers cope with situations both in and out of the workplace.”

Employment Minister Grace Grace said the Palaszczuk Government would

Sticking Together couldn’t have come at a better time, with the highly successful Back to Work jobs program receiving an extra $50 million in funding for regional Queensland,” she said.

“Back to Work program is already supporting more than 1,000 jobs in Far North Queensland, many of them in Cairns.”

Member for Barron River Craig Crawford said there were some young people who, for a multitude of reasons, found it difficult to enter and remain in the workforce.

“On a personal level, this can affect self-esteem and confidence and result in long-term disengagement from the workforce,” Mr Crawford said.

“Cairns jobseekers are crying out for more support, and that’s exactly what Sticking Together will deliver.

“The pilot will focus on young people aged under 25 years who are facing challenges to enter, and remain, in the workforce.

“Some participants will be facing multiple barriers to employment, and they’ll benefit greatly from the one-on-one mentoring this program provides - particularly in Cairns.”

Ms Grace said not-for-profit organisation SYC would deliver the pilot program.

“For over 50 years SYC has been working with disadvantaged young people, whether that be to find a safe place to sleep, develop new skills, gain and sustain employment, finish school or reconnect with their families,” she said.

“The Sticking Together model was rolled out in four trial sites across South Australia and Victoria in January 2017.

“Queensland has benefited from the early learnings from these trial locations, and from leveraging the co-design, research and implementation work already undertaken.”

 

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