English training for Gold Coast migrants and refugees

The Queensland Government is providing language training to help 60 Gold Coast people become more employable.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Southport Peter Lawlor said the Community Based English as a Second Language Training project was helping people who needed to lift their reading and writing proficiency to find and hold jobs.

“The Gold Coast Institute of TAFE has provided $51,750 to support this project which is also supported by a $33,270 grant from the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative,” Mr Mickel said.

“Being able to easily read and write English is very important in finding, applying for and holding work.

“Without these skills many people, particularly women, can give up searching for work and won’t be able to take full advantage of the other training and support services on offer.”

Member for Southport Peter Lawlor said the training was being delivered at the Multicultural Families Organisation, the Gold Coast Mosque and the Southport campus of Gold Coast TAFE.

“This training will provide opportunities for participants in the workforce and give them a taste of how further education can help them,” Mr Lawlor said.

“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative aims to assist groups that are currently missing out in our strong economy like people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

“Our economy needs more workers but our latest workforce participation rate is equal with the record high and Queensland’s unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent is below the national average of 4.4 per cent, so there is a real need for projects like this one.”

Gold Coast TAFE Institute Director Deb Daly said the training took into account cultural sensitivities.

“We are offering classes for Islamic women at the Gold Coast Mosque which are being delivered by female teachers and tutors so participants can be comfortable with the setting and staff,” Ms Daly said.

“Each training program lasts 37 weeks and the training at our Southport campus also covers computer literacy.

“This training will improve the daily lives of people from non-English speaking backgrounds while helping them into employment or training.”

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 21^st Century.

For more information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925

Contact: Gold Coast Institute of TAFE Director of Sales and Marketing Andrew Gabriel on 5581 8800 or andrew.gabriel@deta.qld.gov.au

Member for Southport contact: 5532 5068

Media contact: Shannon Mackay

December 28, 2007