Published Thursday, 17 January, 2008 at 09:00 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Ten Townsville jobseekers ready for next step
Ten unemployed Townsville residents will graduate tomorrow from the State Government-funded Choice Ladder Climbers project.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Townsville Mike Reynolds said the group are the first to complete the project which will assist a total of 60 people.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is providing $380,000 to Choice Management Australia for this project because to keep our economy growing strongly we need to assist more unemployed people into the workforce,” Mr Mickel said.
“These participants have each earned a Certificate I in Information Technology and a Workplace Health and Safety certificate.”
“Gaining these qualifications and completing some job preparation training will give these participants the confidence and motivation they need to find and start new jobs.”
Member for Townsville Mike Reynolds said the Choice Ladder Climbers project offers the flexibility to address participants’ needs and build up their skills.
“Even with unemployment at a low 3.9 per cent these graduands demonstrate the need for projects like this one,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Without this kind of support long-term unemployed people can fall further and further behind as the skills and experience they do have become outdated..
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative funds employment projects which help unemployed and underemployed people into sustainable work.”
Choice Australia Management Townsville Manager Suzanne Highley said all 10 four of the participants completed paid work placements with host organisations through the project.
“One participant worked with Communities for Children and has gained a permanent job there. A second was placed with Community Patrol while the remaining eight worked with us here. Two of the other participants worked with us, one in our parenting peers program and the other in office administration, while the remaining participant was placed with Community Patrol,” Ms Highley said.
“For all of them the placements were a great way to get these people into a real workplace and performing real tasks.
“The project doesn’t end here as we are offering on-going support for these participants and we have the next group starting on January 29.”
The Choice Ladder Climbers project has received extensive support. The Queensland Government’s Community Renewal program, coordinated by the Department of Housing, provided $80,660 to expand the services and provide transport for participants in the Upper Ross and Townsville West district. Television broadcaster, Southern Cross Ten, is promoting Choice’s aims and objectives through generous airtime support.
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
The graduation will be held on Friday 18 January at George Coates Restaurant –
Cnr of Fulham Road and Hugh St, Pimlico at 1:30pm.
Contact: Choice Australia Management Townsville Manager Suzanne Highley on 4755 0033 or suzanne@choices.org.au
Member for Townsville contact: 4772 4711
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown on 3237 1944 or Shannon Mackay on 3237 1125
January 17, 2008
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Townsville Mike Reynolds said the group are the first to complete the project which will assist a total of 60 people.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is providing $380,000 to Choice Management Australia for this project because to keep our economy growing strongly we need to assist more unemployed people into the workforce,” Mr Mickel said.
“These participants have each earned a Certificate I in Information Technology and a Workplace Health and Safety certificate.”
“Gaining these qualifications and completing some job preparation training will give these participants the confidence and motivation they need to find and start new jobs.”
Member for Townsville Mike Reynolds said the Choice Ladder Climbers project offers the flexibility to address participants’ needs and build up their skills.
“Even with unemployment at a low 3.9 per cent these graduands demonstrate the need for projects like this one,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Without this kind of support long-term unemployed people can fall further and further behind as the skills and experience they do have become outdated..
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative funds employment projects which help unemployed and underemployed people into sustainable work.”
Choice Australia Management Townsville Manager Suzanne Highley said all 10 four of the participants completed paid work placements with host organisations through the project.
“One participant worked with Communities for Children and has gained a permanent job there. A second was placed with Community Patrol while the remaining eight worked with us here. Two of the other participants worked with us, one in our parenting peers program and the other in office administration, while the remaining participant was placed with Community Patrol,” Ms Highley said.
“For all of them the placements were a great way to get these people into a real workplace and performing real tasks.
“The project doesn’t end here as we are offering on-going support for these participants and we have the next group starting on January 29.”
The Choice Ladder Climbers project has received extensive support. The Queensland Government’s Community Renewal program, coordinated by the Department of Housing, provided $80,660 to expand the services and provide transport for participants in the Upper Ross and Townsville West district. Television broadcaster, Southern Cross Ten, is promoting Choice’s aims and objectives through generous airtime support.
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
The graduation will be held on Friday 18 January at George Coates Restaurant –
Cnr of Fulham Road and Hugh St, Pimlico at 1:30pm.
Contact: Choice Australia Management Townsville Manager Suzanne Highley on 4755 0033 or suzanne@choices.org.au
Member for Townsville contact: 4772 4711
Ministerial contacts: Chris Brown on 3237 1944 or Shannon Mackay on 3237 1125
January 17, 2008