Published Tuesday, 02 September, 2008 at 09:00 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Unemployed understand importance of Stanthorpe Learners’ Fiesta
Seven unemployed people will move closer to joining the workforce when they graduate tomorrow at the Stanthorpe Learners’ Fiesta from a State Government funded literacy and numeracy project.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the group have completed the Literacy and Numeracy in Queensland project organised by Learning Network Queensland.
“This project has reached out to 50 people from Toowoomba, Charleville, St George, Dalby, Chinchilla, Pittsworth and Stanthorpe so they can improve their reading, writing and numeracy,” Mr Mickel said.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $49,970 for this project because these skills open up many more options for further training and make searching and applying for available jobs much easier.
“With unemployment at 3.8 per cent finding ways to increase workforce participation is getting harder but our booming economy means it is worth the extra effort.
“Learning new skills for work or in daily life is becoming more and more common but poor literacy and numeracy reduces the employment and training options a person can pursue and it impacts on their social lives as well.”
The graduation will be held at the Civic Centre, 61 Marsh Street Stanthorpe at 10:00am on Wednesday September 3.
Learning Network Queensland Education and Innovation Manager Allan Trevaskis said the project included computer literacy, using the internet and email, job search skills and helping participants with their resumes.
“All these tasks require good reading and writing skills and we also offered extra financial literacy training which ties in numeracy as well,” Mr Trevaskis said.
“If we take these skills for granted it is very easy to say that anyone who is unemployed at the moment doesn’t want to work, but these people prove that argument is wrong.
“Two of our Stanthorpe participants have already completed a back to work training course as well. I’m sure if this group keeps looking for ways to improve the variety of skills they have they’ll soon find the jobs they are looking for.”
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: Learning Network Queensland Education and Innovation Manager Allan Trevaskis on 3225 8898 or a.trevaskis@lnq.net.au
Ministerial contact: Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
September 2, 2008
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the group have completed the Literacy and Numeracy in Queensland project organised by Learning Network Queensland.
“This project has reached out to 50 people from Toowoomba, Charleville, St George, Dalby, Chinchilla, Pittsworth and Stanthorpe so they can improve their reading, writing and numeracy,” Mr Mickel said.
“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $49,970 for this project because these skills open up many more options for further training and make searching and applying for available jobs much easier.
“With unemployment at 3.8 per cent finding ways to increase workforce participation is getting harder but our booming economy means it is worth the extra effort.
“Learning new skills for work or in daily life is becoming more and more common but poor literacy and numeracy reduces the employment and training options a person can pursue and it impacts on their social lives as well.”
The graduation will be held at the Civic Centre, 61 Marsh Street Stanthorpe at 10:00am on Wednesday September 3.
Learning Network Queensland Education and Innovation Manager Allan Trevaskis said the project included computer literacy, using the internet and email, job search skills and helping participants with their resumes.
“All these tasks require good reading and writing skills and we also offered extra financial literacy training which ties in numeracy as well,” Mr Trevaskis said.
“If we take these skills for granted it is very easy to say that anyone who is unemployed at the moment doesn’t want to work, but these people prove that argument is wrong.
“Two of our Stanthorpe participants have already completed a back to work training course as well. I’m sure if this group keeps looking for ways to improve the variety of skills they have they’ll soon find the jobs they are looking for.”
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: Learning Network Queensland Education and Innovation Manager Allan Trevaskis on 3225 8898 or a.trevaskis@lnq.net.au
Ministerial contact: Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
September 2, 2008