PROJECT TO BOOST TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED IN NQ

Twelve disadvantaged jobseekers will get valuable skills and help boost transport services for North Queensland’s elderly, disabled and disadvantaged people on a renewed Queensland State Government funded skilling project.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Townsville Mike Reynolds said Townsville and Thuringowa Transport Solutions (TOTTS) has been granted $181,920 from the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to run the project.

“The project will offer participants paid work in office administration, transport and community care – all of which are skill shortage industries in the local area,” Mr Mickel said.

“TOTTS achieved outstanding results when the project was first run last year with 75% of participants moving into work and a further 5% going on to increase their opportunities with study.

“The project is primarily aimed at helping mature-age women who want to return to the workforce but lack recent experience or qualifications.

“In this way the project supports the aims of the Queensland State Government’s Experience Pays awareness campaign which is encouraging employers to recognise the value of recruiting mature-age employees”

Mr Reynolds said as many as 10,000 people from Townsville and surrounding areas have difficulty accessing services due to a lack of transport.

“TOTTS has been around since 2005, helping alleviate this problem by running a door-to-door transport service,” Mr Reynolds said.

“This funding gives TOTTS much needed manpower to continue the good work which helps over 450 elderly or disabled people a week.”

TOTTS Secretary John Gilhome said participants will work 19 hours a week for 26 weeks developing skills in office administration, transport and community care.

“The on-the-job skills will be enhanced by TAFE training in competencies from the Certificate III in Home and Community Care,” Mr Gilhome said.

“It is anticipated that the participants will remain working here or move into work in the transport or aged care industries at the end of the project.”

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 employment and training assistance 71 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.

Skilling Queenslanders for Work also supports the Government’s Q2 vision for a stronger, fairer state where people who are disadvantaged in the workforce can access assistance to increase their employment opportunities.

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

Contact: Townsville and Thuringowa Transport Solutions Secretary

John Gilhome on 47550645 or tottsinc@yahoo.com.au

Member for Townsville contact: 4772 4711

Ministerial contact: Jane Rowe on 3237 1125 or David Robertson on 3235 4060

November 14, 2008