Published Tuesday, 29 July, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Warehouse and workshop projects for Brisbane unemployed
Sixteen unemployed people are developing new skills in construction or warehousing through two employment projects being held in Brisbane and Logan.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Gary Fenlon said the BoysTown Youth Engagement Project organised the two groups who will complete 16-weeks paid work placements thanks to support from the Queensland Government.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is providing $243,362 for the Warehousing Works and Workshop Renewal projects to assist young people in our communities to gain the skills and experience they need to find stable employment,” Mr Fenlon said.
“With unemployment at a low 3.8 per cent in Queensland it can be easy to forget that young people trying to get their working lives off to a good start can have a hard time because they don’t have the experience or skills employers want.
“Through these projects eight young people are working in real warehouses in Sumner Park, Red Hill and Colmslie while the other eight are refurbishing a workshop in Kingston.
“Doing these jobs and getting paid for it will be great for the participants’ self-confidence and motivation as well as teaching them new skills,” he said.
BoysTown Acting Operations Manager John James said participants on the Warehousing Works project are assisting charities organise and distribute their goods
“Foodbank in Colmslie are hosting four of the participants with Saint Vincent de Paul warehouse and the Salvation Army each hosting two participants,” he said.
Foodbank Queensland is a non-profit organisation which stores food donated from producers and processing companies and distributes it to more than 275 welfare agencies who feed over 60,000 Queenslanders each week.
“Participants on the second project will refurbish a workshop in Kingston so it can be used to teach new skills to other young people in the area,” Mr James said.
“A YMCA is being established next door to this workshop so the work these participants are doing will have an ongoing benefit for the community.
“Refurbishing a place like this will give participants a variety of experience and new skills as well as a better understanding of how to organise and order the different jobs that go into a project like this.
“Good, rewarding jobs are a great way to keep young people engaged with the community and these two projects are aiming to help participants move into the workforce.”
The Queensland Government’s Community Renewal initiative, coordinated by the Department of Housing, is providing $52,000 for materials used to refurbish the workshop.
During 2008/09 the Queensland Government will invest $80 million in the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to give an estimated 15,000 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 assistance 71 per cent of participants are in employment or further training.
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: BoysTown Communications Officer Kristy Porter on 3867 1223 or kporter@boystown.com.au
Ministerial contact: Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
July 29, 2008
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Gary Fenlon said the BoysTown Youth Engagement Project organised the two groups who will complete 16-weeks paid work placements thanks to support from the Queensland Government.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is providing $243,362 for the Warehousing Works and Workshop Renewal projects to assist young people in our communities to gain the skills and experience they need to find stable employment,” Mr Fenlon said.
“With unemployment at a low 3.8 per cent in Queensland it can be easy to forget that young people trying to get their working lives off to a good start can have a hard time because they don’t have the experience or skills employers want.
“Through these projects eight young people are working in real warehouses in Sumner Park, Red Hill and Colmslie while the other eight are refurbishing a workshop in Kingston.
“Doing these jobs and getting paid for it will be great for the participants’ self-confidence and motivation as well as teaching them new skills,” he said.
BoysTown Acting Operations Manager John James said participants on the Warehousing Works project are assisting charities organise and distribute their goods
“Foodbank in Colmslie are hosting four of the participants with Saint Vincent de Paul warehouse and the Salvation Army each hosting two participants,” he said.
Foodbank Queensland is a non-profit organisation which stores food donated from producers and processing companies and distributes it to more than 275 welfare agencies who feed over 60,000 Queenslanders each week.
“Participants on the second project will refurbish a workshop in Kingston so it can be used to teach new skills to other young people in the area,” Mr James said.
“A YMCA is being established next door to this workshop so the work these participants are doing will have an ongoing benefit for the community.
“Refurbishing a place like this will give participants a variety of experience and new skills as well as a better understanding of how to organise and order the different jobs that go into a project like this.
“Good, rewarding jobs are a great way to keep young people engaged with the community and these two projects are aiming to help participants move into the workforce.”
The Queensland Government’s Community Renewal initiative, coordinated by the Department of Housing, is providing $52,000 for materials used to refurbish the workshop.
During 2008/09 the Queensland Government will invest $80 million in the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to give an estimated 15,000 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 assistance 71 per cent of participants are in employment or further training.
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: BoysTown Communications Officer Kristy Porter on 3867 1223 or kporter@boystown.com.au
Ministerial contact: Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
July 29, 2008