Published Wednesday, 28 November, 2007 at 10:49 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Intellectually disabled in Brisbane North get literacy help
Forty intellectually disabled people from Brisbane’s Northside will get training to develop literacy and numeracy skills and a further 10 will skill up to be volunteer tutors on a new Queensland government funded project.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Brisbane Central Grace Grace said the project, which will start in January next year, is being run by Centacare through a $59,940 Skilling Queenslanders for Work grant.
“It would be hard to overstate the impact low literacy levels can have on people’s ability to get by in today’s world,” Mr Mickel said.
“This project will have the advantage over traditional literacy training in that it is specifically designed to help the intellectually disabled.
Ms Grace said Centacare – HAND is ideally placed to deliver the program, having more than 20 years experience in helping this client group.”
“The project aims to provide a foundation that will allow participants to move into further training or work.
“This project will not only increase literacy skills but also allow clients to do the things many of us take for granted including using public transport and getting a driver’s licence,” Ms Grace said.
Centacare Learning & Leisure Manager Charlie Vicary said workplace skills and work readiness training will be a key component of the project.
“Our research and experience has shown that people with an intellectual disability learn better through a course that has finely-graded progressive steps, which is how the training will be delivered,” Mr Vicary said.
“We will also work with our extensive network of disability service providers to ensure participants’ needs are met.
“The training will be delivered three days a week at HAND’s offices in Wilston and some of the funding will be used to train volunteer tutors so that we can continue offering literacy training into the future.”
During 2007/08 the Queensland Government will invest approximately $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.
More information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925.
Contact: Centacare / HAND Manager Charlie Vicary on 3392 9350 or cvicary@bne.centacare.net.au
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown on 3237 1125 or Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
November 28, 2007
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Brisbane Central Grace Grace said the project, which will start in January next year, is being run by Centacare through a $59,940 Skilling Queenslanders for Work grant.
“It would be hard to overstate the impact low literacy levels can have on people’s ability to get by in today’s world,” Mr Mickel said.
“This project will have the advantage over traditional literacy training in that it is specifically designed to help the intellectually disabled.
Ms Grace said Centacare – HAND is ideally placed to deliver the program, having more than 20 years experience in helping this client group.”
“The project aims to provide a foundation that will allow participants to move into further training or work.
“This project will not only increase literacy skills but also allow clients to do the things many of us take for granted including using public transport and getting a driver’s licence,” Ms Grace said.
Centacare Learning & Leisure Manager Charlie Vicary said workplace skills and work readiness training will be a key component of the project.
“Our research and experience has shown that people with an intellectual disability learn better through a course that has finely-graded progressive steps, which is how the training will be delivered,” Mr Vicary said.
“We will also work with our extensive network of disability service providers to ensure participants’ needs are met.
“The training will be delivered three days a week at HAND’s offices in Wilston and some of the funding will be used to train volunteer tutors so that we can continue offering literacy training into the future.”
During 2007/08 the Queensland Government will invest approximately $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.
More information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925.
Contact: Centacare / HAND Manager Charlie Vicary on 3392 9350 or cvicary@bne.centacare.net.au
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown on 3237 1125 or Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
November 28, 2007