QLD GOVERNMENT FUNDS CAIRNS MIGRANT EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
Published Wednesday, 14 November, 2007 at 01:00 PM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
The Queensland Government is providing $108,000 to assist 60 migrants and refugees in Cairns find work.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said Centacare Cairns had received the grant form the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to organise the Migrant Employment Service project.
“The assistance and support Centacare provides will help these participants engage with their community and access the training and services which will help them find work,” Mr Mickel said.
“Anyone would find starting a new life in a new country a daunting prospect but this project will provide people from a non-English speaking background with individual case management to set out a pathway to improve their chances of finding work.
“Finding a job is an important step in settling into a new country and through organisations like Centacare the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is assisting migrants and refugees throughout the state to achieve that.”
Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said the project would bring many benefits to the local community.
“Each participant who passes through the Migrant Employment Service and goes on to find a job will be adding to our local economy and society,” Ms Boyle said.
“Queensland’s booming economy has helped cut the state’s unemployment rate to a 30-year low of 3.8 per cent.
“The reality is that as the workforce ages we are going to need all the people we can get participating in the workforce.
“The key to that is to help people build the skills needed by employers and industry.”
Centacare Cairns Executive Director Helga Biro said participants will also be assisted into further training, education or volunteer work to improve their chances of finding meaningful work in the future.
“We have contacts with Government and non-Government employment agencies as well as at Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE and James Cook University,” Ms Biro said.
“There are so many services and organisations which can assist people who are unemployed so this project will target the barriers keeping each individual out of the workforce and develop a plan to address them.”
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.
Twelve months after receiving employment and training assistance 67 per cent of participants are in employment.
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: Centacare Cairns Executive Director Helga Biro on 4044 0130 or helga@centacarecairns.org
Member for Cairns contact: 4051 2868
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
November 14, 2007
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said Centacare Cairns had received the grant form the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to organise the Migrant Employment Service project.
“The assistance and support Centacare provides will help these participants engage with their community and access the training and services which will help them find work,” Mr Mickel said.
“Anyone would find starting a new life in a new country a daunting prospect but this project will provide people from a non-English speaking background with individual case management to set out a pathway to improve their chances of finding work.
“Finding a job is an important step in settling into a new country and through organisations like Centacare the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is assisting migrants and refugees throughout the state to achieve that.”
Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said the project would bring many benefits to the local community.
“Each participant who passes through the Migrant Employment Service and goes on to find a job will be adding to our local economy and society,” Ms Boyle said.
“Queensland’s booming economy has helped cut the state’s unemployment rate to a 30-year low of 3.8 per cent.
“The reality is that as the workforce ages we are going to need all the people we can get participating in the workforce.
“The key to that is to help people build the skills needed by employers and industry.”
Centacare Cairns Executive Director Helga Biro said participants will also be assisted into further training, education or volunteer work to improve their chances of finding meaningful work in the future.
“We have contacts with Government and non-Government employment agencies as well as at Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE and James Cook University,” Ms Biro said.
“There are so many services and organisations which can assist people who are unemployed so this project will target the barriers keeping each individual out of the workforce and develop a plan to address them.”
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.
Twelve months after receiving employment and training assistance 67 per cent of participants are in employment.
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: Centacare Cairns Executive Director Helga Biro on 4044 0130 or helga@centacarecairns.org
Member for Cairns contact: 4051 2868
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
November 14, 2007