Published Tuesday, 19 June, 2007 at 03:00 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
STATE GOVERNMENT STRATEGY WELCOMES REFUGEES INTO QLD WORKFORCE
More than 3600 Queensland refugee and migrant jobseekers have been assisted into the Australian workforce over the last three years thanks to a State Government initiative.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the Multicultural Employment Strategy was developed and implemented in 2004 to address the needs of jobseekers from non-English speaking backgrounds particularly refugees, newly arrived migrants and Temporary Protection Visa holders.
Tomorrow Mr Mickel will report on the progress on the Multicultural Employment Strategy on World Refugee Day (June 20, 2007).
“Multicultural organisations throughout the State are being funded to deliver a range of projects including paid work placements, employment assistance, training and employment workshops,” said Mr Mickel.
“These projects are helping refugees who, through circumstances beyond their control, struggle to integrate into Australian life and find work.
“So far over $9.6 million funding has been approved under the strategy to support projects like the Logan Employment African Project (LEAP), run by ACCES Services, which was funded $302,650 to initially assist 56 African refugees and migrants living in the Logan region into employment, voluntary vocation work or employment related training.
“The project is proving to be so popular already over 158 people have been assisted.
“The Host Employment and Training (HEAT) project, run by Bridgeworks Employment and Training, received $676,480 funding to help professionally skilled and highly skilled refugees and migrants secure meaningful employment.
“The project provided participants with paid work placements, employment assistance and training, including communication and socialisation skills for working in an Australian workplace.
“Refugees Ready for Work is a $157,200 funded project run by the Construction Training Centre designed to help refugee students aged 15 to 17 years in the Annerley, Yeronga and Moorooka area improve their chances of making a successful transition from school to the Australian workplace in the next few years.
“It is providing an employment pathway that incorporates the education program at Yeronga State High School, with the State Government’s Get Set For Work program’s work readiness preparation activities,” Mr Mickel said.
“While there is a high concentration of refugees coming to the South Eastern corner of Queensland, North Queensland also is an upcoming area for refugee settlement.
“Townsville’s Migrant Resource centre received $225,610 funding to run the Job Track project for a fifth time.
“Job Track is assisting 26 refugees and migrants from the Townsville and Thuringowa region to improve their employment prospects through either paid work placements or pre-employment assistance and training.
“While in Innisfail, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries received $113,490 to run The Hmong Community Support Project to help members of the Hmong community affected by Cyclone Larry providing language and literacy support and job skills to give them brighter futures.
“These are just a few of the terrific projects the State Government is supporting through the Multicultural Employment Strategy to help refugees, migrants and other jobseekers from non-English speaking backgrounds,” Mr Mickel said.
The Multicultural Employment Strategy is provided under the Skilling Queenslander for Work initiative which comprises a number of strategies offering customised assistance to assist individual needs and increase vocational training.
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative together with its predecessor the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative have helped create more than
122,000 jobs for Queenslanders since 1998.
The initiative is part of the State Government’s $1 billion Queensland Skills Plan which aims to provide individuals and industry with the skills and workforce for the 21st Century.
More information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925.
Media Contacts: Chris Brown on 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion on 3224 6784
June 19, 2007.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the Multicultural Employment Strategy was developed and implemented in 2004 to address the needs of jobseekers from non-English speaking backgrounds particularly refugees, newly arrived migrants and Temporary Protection Visa holders.
Tomorrow Mr Mickel will report on the progress on the Multicultural Employment Strategy on World Refugee Day (June 20, 2007).
“Multicultural organisations throughout the State are being funded to deliver a range of projects including paid work placements, employment assistance, training and employment workshops,” said Mr Mickel.
“These projects are helping refugees who, through circumstances beyond their control, struggle to integrate into Australian life and find work.
“So far over $9.6 million funding has been approved under the strategy to support projects like the Logan Employment African Project (LEAP), run by ACCES Services, which was funded $302,650 to initially assist 56 African refugees and migrants living in the Logan region into employment, voluntary vocation work or employment related training.
“The project is proving to be so popular already over 158 people have been assisted.
“The Host Employment and Training (HEAT) project, run by Bridgeworks Employment and Training, received $676,480 funding to help professionally skilled and highly skilled refugees and migrants secure meaningful employment.
“The project provided participants with paid work placements, employment assistance and training, including communication and socialisation skills for working in an Australian workplace.
“Refugees Ready for Work is a $157,200 funded project run by the Construction Training Centre designed to help refugee students aged 15 to 17 years in the Annerley, Yeronga and Moorooka area improve their chances of making a successful transition from school to the Australian workplace in the next few years.
“It is providing an employment pathway that incorporates the education program at Yeronga State High School, with the State Government’s Get Set For Work program’s work readiness preparation activities,” Mr Mickel said.
“While there is a high concentration of refugees coming to the South Eastern corner of Queensland, North Queensland also is an upcoming area for refugee settlement.
“Townsville’s Migrant Resource centre received $225,610 funding to run the Job Track project for a fifth time.
“Job Track is assisting 26 refugees and migrants from the Townsville and Thuringowa region to improve their employment prospects through either paid work placements or pre-employment assistance and training.
“While in Innisfail, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries received $113,490 to run The Hmong Community Support Project to help members of the Hmong community affected by Cyclone Larry providing language and literacy support and job skills to give them brighter futures.
“These are just a few of the terrific projects the State Government is supporting through the Multicultural Employment Strategy to help refugees, migrants and other jobseekers from non-English speaking backgrounds,” Mr Mickel said.
The Multicultural Employment Strategy is provided under the Skilling Queenslander for Work initiative which comprises a number of strategies offering customised assistance to assist individual needs and increase vocational training.
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative together with its predecessor the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative have helped create more than
122,000 jobs for Queenslanders since 1998.
The initiative is part of the State Government’s $1 billion Queensland Skills Plan which aims to provide individuals and industry with the skills and workforce for the 21st Century.
More information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925.
Media Contacts: Chris Brown on 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion on 3224 6784
June 19, 2007.