Sunshine Coast literacy project graduation

A Sunshine Coast training project which improved the skills of 56 unemployed or underemployed people and trained another 20 as volunteer literacy tutors will graduate tomorrow.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the Caloundra City Libraries Community Literacy Program had assisted the two groups over the year.

“The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $39,070 to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council to conduct language, literacy and numeracy classes in Caloundra, Beerwah and Kawana,” Mr Mickel said.

“Training and supporting other members of the community to become volunteer tutors meant participants could get the assistance they needed to improve their skills.

“Improving these skills helps people in their everyday lives and opens up new opportunities for them to interact and contribute with other people in their communities.

“Building the stronger and fairer Queensland set out in the State Government’s Toward Q2 requires projects like this which assist those who need it most.”

The graduation for the Caloundra City Libraries Community Literacy Program will be held Tuesday December 9 at 4:00pm at the Beausang Room, The Events Centre, Minchinton Street, Caloundra.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council Coordinator Mignon Fanton said bringing the training to Caloundra City Libraries meant attending classes was easier and less confronting for participants.

“Being able to read and write are vital when searching for work and assisting people who struggle in this area also prepares them for further study,” Ms Fanton said.

“Our training also included financial literacy with The Smith Family’s ‘Money Minded’ program.

“With 20 new volunteer tutors we’re also building up a larger network to assist other people with their language, literacy and numeracy skills in the future.”

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 21^st Century.

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

Contact: Sunshine Coast Regional Council Coordinator Mignon Fanton on

5499 5414 or mignon.fanton@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Ministerial contact: David Robertson on 3235 4060

December 8, 2008