Gold Coast jobseekers equipped with new skills

Twenty Gold Coast jobseekers, many of whom had been out of the workforce for some time, are today celebrating new opportunities with their graduation from two State Government-funded employment projects.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Southport Peter Lawlor said the Gold Coast Work Placement program was a good example of how the Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative has helped give people the skills they needed to participate meaningfully in the workforce.

Mr Lawlor, who represented the Minister at today’s graduation ceremony, said skill shortages in construction and traditional trade areas at the Gold Coast were well documented.

“Skilling Queenslanders for Work has provided funding of $675,000 for this financial year to the Gold Coast City Council to run a total of five Work Placement projects that will assist 50 local jobseekers,” Mr Lawlor said.

“The Council is targeting locations where there are relatively high concentrations of unemployed people, and is endeavouring to draw from a range of disadvantaged groups such as long-term unemployed, mature-aged, young people, parents and carers.”

Gold Coast City Council Employment Schemes Coordinator Peter Johnson said many people who moved to the Gold Coast planned to retire there and already had some trade or other skills, but they often required a local referee, work history or job search assistance to get back into the workforce.

“Today’s graduates worked for the past 16-weeks on either the Vision Centre at Southport or the Kirra Hill Community Facility that is gradually being constructed on the site of the former Special School,” Mr Johnson said.

“The projects have provided them with a wide range of work experiences and good local industry contacts.

“Not only have they been doing work such as painting, carpentry, internal fit-outs and demolition and landscaping, but they’ve also undertaken accredited and non-accredited training, and have been able to work alongside and observe tradespeople and other specialised providers, which adds to their knowledge and extends their network of contacts.

“The participants also benefited from working with each other with some being able to share skills they already had, and older participants mentoring younger ones in addition to the mentoring and other support provided by the program itself.”

Several of the participants have already been offered casual or full-time jobs in horticulture or maintenance work.

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.

The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative 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 Toward Q2 vision of a stronger and fairer Queensland.

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

Gold Coast City Council Contact: Peter Johnson on 5581 7092 or pjohnson@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Member for Southport contact: Peter Lawlor on (07) 5532 5068

Ministerial Contact: David Robertson on 3235 4060

December 5, 2008