Published Thursday, 28 June, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
NEW CAREER PATHWAYS FOR WIDE BAY MATURE-AGE JOBSEEKERS
Eleven mature-aged Wide Bay jobseekers will graduate tomorrow with valuable skills and paid work experience thanks to the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said $113,080 in funding was provided to Maisie Kaufmann Learning Centre to run the Employment in the Community project supplying participants with current work skills.
“With forecasters predicting a labour supply shortfall of almost 40,000 Queenslander workers within five years, it’s only commonsense to recruit, retrain and retain experienced, mature-aged workers,” Mr Mickel said.
“Also, while unemployment is at a 30-year low of 3.5 per cent in Queensland, there are still people out there who are having difficulty finding work.
“Programs like this under our Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative are helping to give people the skills they need to participate meaningfully in the workforce”.
Peter Pan Literacy Club Co-ordinator Sylvia Collins said the 16-week employment program engaged participants to develop their skills in office and customer service work for a range of community organisations.
“This has been a win-win situation for both Wide-Bay community organisations and our participants,” she said.
“The project gave local people skills they need for work, and helped employers get the skilled workers they need, especially when they are experiencing difficulty in maintaining services.
“As well as business administration skills, participants have gained personal development skills in team building, literacy, developed career plans and engaged in job search activities.
“From this project, six jobseekers have obtained employment and two will go onto further education,” Ms Collins said.
“I’m happy to report one graduate said they believed they would not have obtained employment without this program.
“It gave them the confidence and introduction to an industry they had not previously considered, and provided the employer the opportunity to realise the participant’s potential with on-the-job 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.
Contact: Peter Pan Literacy Club Co-ordinator Sylvia Collins on 4121 3364 or administration@maisiek.com.au
Media Contacts: Chris Brown on 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion on 3224 6784
June 28, 2007
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said $113,080 in funding was provided to Maisie Kaufmann Learning Centre to run the Employment in the Community project supplying participants with current work skills.
“With forecasters predicting a labour supply shortfall of almost 40,000 Queenslander workers within five years, it’s only commonsense to recruit, retrain and retain experienced, mature-aged workers,” Mr Mickel said.
“Also, while unemployment is at a 30-year low of 3.5 per cent in Queensland, there are still people out there who are having difficulty finding work.
“Programs like this under our Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative are helping to give people the skills they need to participate meaningfully in the workforce”.
Peter Pan Literacy Club Co-ordinator Sylvia Collins said the 16-week employment program engaged participants to develop their skills in office and customer service work for a range of community organisations.
“This has been a win-win situation for both Wide-Bay community organisations and our participants,” she said.
“The project gave local people skills they need for work, and helped employers get the skilled workers they need, especially when they are experiencing difficulty in maintaining services.
“As well as business administration skills, participants have gained personal development skills in team building, literacy, developed career plans and engaged in job search activities.
“From this project, six jobseekers have obtained employment and two will go onto further education,” Ms Collins said.
“I’m happy to report one graduate said they believed they would not have obtained employment without this program.
“It gave them the confidence and introduction to an industry they had not previously considered, and provided the employer the opportunity to realise the participant’s potential with on-the-job 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.
Contact: Peter Pan Literacy Club Co-ordinator Sylvia Collins on 4121 3364 or administration@maisiek.com.au
Media Contacts: Chris Brown on 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion on 3224 6784
June 28, 2007