Published Thursday, 11 September, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Hervey Bay’s Operation Hard Yakka graduation
A Hervey Bay employment project assisted 12 young people, who will graduate tomorrow, to prepare for the challenges and discipline required to join the Australian Defence Forces, other work or further training.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said Wandiny RAPASS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation organised Operation Hard Yakka with Oz Adventures and Jobsmart.
“The State Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $57,750 for this project to encourage young Indigenous people to pursue their goals,” Mr Mickel said.
“Youth and Indigenous unemployment are both much higher than Queensland’s general unemployment rate, which is at a low 3.8 per cent.
With skills and labour shortages there is an opportunity to get more people into jobs.
“The participants graduating from this project have completed many outdoor, adventure challenges so they will be confident and ready to tackle the next steps into the workforce.”
The graduation will be held at the Oz Adventures Training Centre, 1946 Hervey-Maryborough Road, Susan River at 9:30am on Friday September 12.
Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said the project covered a lot of skills which are valued in the military and by employers.
“Things like team work, communication, problem solving and leadership are appreciated in the workplace as well as in the defence forces so these participants have a lot of options for the future,” Mr McNamara said.
“Community organisations are in the best position to know what unemployed people in their area need to find work and it’s great the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative can support projects like this.”
Ardy Muckan, who is Wandiny RAPASS Project Manager and a part-time Fraser Coast Regional Council Youth Worker, said the project covered job search skills as well as some accredited training.
“Operation Hard Yakka included some alternative training from the Certificate II in Business and they applied those lessons into the activities they had to complete,” Mr Muckan said.
“With the confidence and self-esteem the participants take out of this course they are ready for the next challenges they’ll face.
“Two of the participants have enrolled to join the Army and one of them is going to TAFE to complete his business qualification while he goes through the recruitment process. Three more are going back to school, another is working in construction and three others are joining a construction and engineering training course.
“It’s been great to see the change in these young guys and to see the results are already coming in for them.”
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: Wandiny RAPASS Project Manager Ardy Muckan on 4124 5225 or ardyman@bigpond.net.au
Member for Hervey Bay contact: 4124 1386
Ministerial contact: Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
September 11, 2008
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said Wandiny RAPASS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation organised Operation Hard Yakka with Oz Adventures and Jobsmart.
“The State Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $57,750 for this project to encourage young Indigenous people to pursue their goals,” Mr Mickel said.
“Youth and Indigenous unemployment are both much higher than Queensland’s general unemployment rate, which is at a low 3.8 per cent.
With skills and labour shortages there is an opportunity to get more people into jobs.
“The participants graduating from this project have completed many outdoor, adventure challenges so they will be confident and ready to tackle the next steps into the workforce.”
The graduation will be held at the Oz Adventures Training Centre, 1946 Hervey-Maryborough Road, Susan River at 9:30am on Friday September 12.
Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said the project covered a lot of skills which are valued in the military and by employers.
“Things like team work, communication, problem solving and leadership are appreciated in the workplace as well as in the defence forces so these participants have a lot of options for the future,” Mr McNamara said.
“Community organisations are in the best position to know what unemployed people in their area need to find work and it’s great the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative can support projects like this.”
Ardy Muckan, who is Wandiny RAPASS Project Manager and a part-time Fraser Coast Regional Council Youth Worker, said the project covered job search skills as well as some accredited training.
“Operation Hard Yakka included some alternative training from the Certificate II in Business and they applied those lessons into the activities they had to complete,” Mr Muckan said.
“With the confidence and self-esteem the participants take out of this course they are ready for the next challenges they’ll face.
“Two of the participants have enrolled to join the Army and one of them is going to TAFE to complete his business qualification while he goes through the recruitment process. Three more are going back to school, another is working in construction and three others are joining a construction and engineering training course.
“It’s been great to see the change in these young guys and to see the results are already coming in for them.”
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: Wandiny RAPASS Project Manager Ardy Muckan on 4124 5225 or ardyman@bigpond.net.au
Member for Hervey Bay contact: 4124 1386
Ministerial contact: Nathan Moir on 3235 4060
September 11, 2008