MUNDUBERRA HOSTS NORTH BURNETT EMPLOYMENT GRADUATION
Published Thursday, 08 November, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Thirty-one people from the North Burnett region will graduate from two local employment projects tomorrow.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the group have completed a mix of formal training, job preparation and personal development through the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation.
“The organisation received a total grant of $69,050 from the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative and another $83,692 from Queenslanders Working Together an Australian Government funded program administered through the initiative,”
Mr Mickel said.
“This money funded the ‘Moving on – The Final Step’ and the ‘High Risk, High Need – Making it Happen’ projects which assisted 56 parents returning to the workforce and 60 long-term unemployed people.
“While unemployment is at a 30-year low of 3.6 per cent in Queensland, it is important to remember there are still people out there who are having difficulty finding work.
“The participants have each put in a great effort and the results are very encouraging. Already many participants have received job offers or have decided to pursue further training and education thanks to the opportunities they received through these projects.
“The State Government’s employment initiatives have been very successful with 67 per cent of participants in employment 12 months after receiving employment and training assistance.
“As the State Government is encouraging employers to recruit, retain and retrain mature-aged people through the Experience Pays Awareness Strategy I think it is great to see that a number of these participants are older people who are now motivated and qualified to rejoin or do more in the workforce.”
This graduation will be held at the Billabong Restaurant in Mundubbera at 6:00pm on November 9. The graduation for forty-two participants from South Burnett was held on November 2.
BIEDO Regional Program Coordinator Tracy Sutton said the projects have helped participants in a number of different ways.
“One participant on the High Risk, High Need project studied for a Certificate III in Aged Care and completed some work experience with the Munduberra Health Service,” Ms Sutton said.
“She impressed them enough that they offered her a job and a chance to continue her training to become a Diversional Therapy Assistant.”
“Most of these participants have been out of the workforce for significant lengths of time and a number of them have said the structure and support of these projects were very important in restoring their confidence and getting them motivated and ready for work again.”
During 2007/08 the Queensland Government will invest $80 million in the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to give an estimated 17,000 long-term unemployed and underemployed people job related assistance and skills training to maximise labour force participation and increase Queensland's prosperity.
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: BIEDO Regional Program Coordinator Tracy Sutton on 4163 6870 or biedoemployment@burnett.net.au
Ministerial contact: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
November 8, 2007
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the group have completed a mix of formal training, job preparation and personal development through the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation.
“The organisation received a total grant of $69,050 from the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative and another $83,692 from Queenslanders Working Together an Australian Government funded program administered through the initiative,”
Mr Mickel said.
“This money funded the ‘Moving on – The Final Step’ and the ‘High Risk, High Need – Making it Happen’ projects which assisted 56 parents returning to the workforce and 60 long-term unemployed people.
“While unemployment is at a 30-year low of 3.6 per cent in Queensland, it is important to remember there are still people out there who are having difficulty finding work.
“The participants have each put in a great effort and the results are very encouraging. Already many participants have received job offers or have decided to pursue further training and education thanks to the opportunities they received through these projects.
“The State Government’s employment initiatives have been very successful with 67 per cent of participants in employment 12 months after receiving employment and training assistance.
“As the State Government is encouraging employers to recruit, retain and retrain mature-aged people through the Experience Pays Awareness Strategy I think it is great to see that a number of these participants are older people who are now motivated and qualified to rejoin or do more in the workforce.”
This graduation will be held at the Billabong Restaurant in Mundubbera at 6:00pm on November 9. The graduation for forty-two participants from South Burnett was held on November 2.
BIEDO Regional Program Coordinator Tracy Sutton said the projects have helped participants in a number of different ways.
“One participant on the High Risk, High Need project studied for a Certificate III in Aged Care and completed some work experience with the Munduberra Health Service,” Ms Sutton said.
“She impressed them enough that they offered her a job and a chance to continue her training to become a Diversional Therapy Assistant.”
“Most of these participants have been out of the workforce for significant lengths of time and a number of them have said the structure and support of these projects were very important in restoring their confidence and getting them motivated and ready for work again.”
During 2007/08 the Queensland Government will invest $80 million in the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to give an estimated 17,000 long-term unemployed and underemployed people job related assistance and skills training to maximise labour force participation and increase Queensland's prosperity.
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: BIEDO Regional Program Coordinator Tracy Sutton on 4163 6870 or biedoemployment@burnett.net.au
Ministerial contact: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
November 8, 2007