Published Tuesday, 04 December, 2007 at 11:13 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Literacy assistance for at risk youths in North QLD
Sixty-five at risk youths in Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands will benefit from a literacy training program thanks to a State Government Skilling Queenslanders for Work grant.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle announced Vocational Partnerships Group Inc had been awarded $84,000 to run the Intense Mobile Literacy project.
“At risk youth with poor literacy and numeracy often face barriers such as social acceptance, future training, education and job opportunities,” said Mr Mickel.
“Programs like this under our Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative are helping to give people the skills they need to participate meaningfully in the community and in the workforce.”
“Participants will also benefit from training received in language, literacy and numeracy, mentoring, career planning and assistance with further education and training options.”
Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said participants are selected from around
25 schools in the region and are either self identified or nominated by teachers, parents, similar youth or other relevant organisations.
“North Queensland faces particular challenges in regard to literacy and numeracy, as a result of the large number of people in the area who speak English as their second language,” said Ms Boyle.
Vocational Partnerships Group Inc CEO Bobby May said participants are assessed on an individual basis and then referred to further relevant programs either externally or within Vocational Partnerships Group.
“Individual barriers to future pathways are identified and targeted in order to achieve effective outcomes in the best interests of the participant,” said Ms May.
“At the end of the project, it is expected that participants will be successfully placed into employment, return to school or undertake further training.
“This project links strongly with other Vocational Partnerships Group Inc projects including Get Set for Work, the community employment program Re-Deploy, Re-Employ and the Youth Pathways program,” said Ms May.
Vocational Partnerships Group Inc has successfully delivered several literacy and numeracy projects in the past aimed at achieving outcomes of increased work opportunities, increased access to accredited training and improved literacy and numeracy skills for participants.
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: Vocational Partnerships Group Inc CEO Bobby May 07 4032 1677 or bobby@vpginc.com.au
Member for Cairns contact: 4051 2868
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
December 4, 2007
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle announced Vocational Partnerships Group Inc had been awarded $84,000 to run the Intense Mobile Literacy project.
“At risk youth with poor literacy and numeracy often face barriers such as social acceptance, future training, education and job opportunities,” said Mr Mickel.
“Programs like this under our Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative are helping to give people the skills they need to participate meaningfully in the community and in the workforce.”
“Participants will also benefit from training received in language, literacy and numeracy, mentoring, career planning and assistance with further education and training options.”
Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said participants are selected from around
25 schools in the region and are either self identified or nominated by teachers, parents, similar youth or other relevant organisations.
“North Queensland faces particular challenges in regard to literacy and numeracy, as a result of the large number of people in the area who speak English as their second language,” said Ms Boyle.
Vocational Partnerships Group Inc CEO Bobby May said participants are assessed on an individual basis and then referred to further relevant programs either externally or within Vocational Partnerships Group.
“Individual barriers to future pathways are identified and targeted in order to achieve effective outcomes in the best interests of the participant,” said Ms May.
“At the end of the project, it is expected that participants will be successfully placed into employment, return to school or undertake further training.
“This project links strongly with other Vocational Partnerships Group Inc projects including Get Set for Work, the community employment program Re-Deploy, Re-Employ and the Youth Pathways program,” said Ms May.
Vocational Partnerships Group Inc has successfully delivered several literacy and numeracy projects in the past aimed at achieving outcomes of increased work opportunities, increased access to accredited training and improved literacy and numeracy skills for participants.
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: Vocational Partnerships Group Inc CEO Bobby May 07 4032 1677 or bobby@vpginc.com.au
Member for Cairns contact: 4051 2868
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
December 4, 2007