TRAINEES PROMOTE INDIGENOUS CULTURE WHILE SKILLING IN NQ
Published Wednesday, 03 October, 2007 at 08:29 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Eight Indigenous people, including a father and two of his sons, are learning new skills and educating others in Townsville about their cultures through First Start traineeships.
While visiting Townsville today Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the group are working at the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre while completing a Certificate II in Tourism and Dance.
“These people started their traineeships in late July and are already performing their dances daily as the PICPAH Dancers,” Mr Mickel said.
“It is a great boost for the Cultural Centre and the Townsville region to have eight experienced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers on their staff.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, through the First Start program, provided the Cultural Centre with $112,000 to hire the trainees.
“While they learn new skills through their studies the Cultural Centre can do more to promote and educate others about Indigenous cultures.”
The Indigenous dancers perform every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00am and 2:30pm and every Wednesday at 2:30pm and Friday at 11:00am at the performance space at the Centre located at 2-68 Flinders Street.
Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre General Manager Scott Anderson said half the group are Torres Strait Islanders and half are Aboriginals.
“Our dancers are very excited at the opportunity to promote and educate people about their cultures through their performances and cultural workshops, “ Mr Anderson said.
“The cultural dancers are a huge draw-card for the Centre and are creating a lot of interest from the general public.”
“Each group works well together and knows a lot about their cultures but with these traineeships we can use their skills and help them earn a recognized qualification.
“Indigenous Tourism is a great industry to get into. It will allow us to engage with people from all walks of life and to raise awareness about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture”.
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative together with its predecessor the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative have helped create more than 124,000 jobs for Queenslanders since 1998.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work 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.
For more information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925
Contact: Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre General Manager Scott Anderson on 4772 7679 or genmngr@bigpond.net.au
Ministerial contact: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Elouise Campion 3237 1125
October 3, 2007
While visiting Townsville today Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the group are working at the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre while completing a Certificate II in Tourism and Dance.
“These people started their traineeships in late July and are already performing their dances daily as the PICPAH Dancers,” Mr Mickel said.
“It is a great boost for the Cultural Centre and the Townsville region to have eight experienced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers on their staff.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, through the First Start program, provided the Cultural Centre with $112,000 to hire the trainees.
“While they learn new skills through their studies the Cultural Centre can do more to promote and educate others about Indigenous cultures.”
The Indigenous dancers perform every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00am and 2:30pm and every Wednesday at 2:30pm and Friday at 11:00am at the performance space at the Centre located at 2-68 Flinders Street.
Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre General Manager Scott Anderson said half the group are Torres Strait Islanders and half are Aboriginals.
“Our dancers are very excited at the opportunity to promote and educate people about their cultures through their performances and cultural workshops, “ Mr Anderson said.
“The cultural dancers are a huge draw-card for the Centre and are creating a lot of interest from the general public.”
“Each group works well together and knows a lot about their cultures but with these traineeships we can use their skills and help them earn a recognized qualification.
“Indigenous Tourism is a great industry to get into. It will allow us to engage with people from all walks of life and to raise awareness about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture”.
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative together with its predecessor the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative have helped create more than 124,000 jobs for Queenslanders since 1998.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work 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.
For more information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925
Contact: Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre General Manager Scott Anderson on 4772 7679 or genmngr@bigpond.net.au
Ministerial contact: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Elouise Campion 3237 1125
October 3, 2007