New start in the New Year for young Hervey Bay jobseekers

The New Year celebrations will continue tomorrow for 26 unemployed early school-leavers in Hervey Bay after they graduate ready to join the workforce.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel and Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative provided $144,900 in funding to Community Solutions to assist the group through the Future Focus project.

“These 26 young people gained the motivation, self-confidence and skills needed to help them break into the workforce,” Mr Mickel said.

“The Future Focus project offered a variety of outdoor activities to improve the communication and teamwork skills of the group.

“To keep young people out of long-term unemployment we need to teach them about the many different options and paths available and prepare them to take responsibility for their lives.”

The graduation will be held at 1:00pm Wednesday January 7, at 6/26 Taylor Street, Pialba.

Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said the tightening jobs market would put extra pressure on young people just starting out in the workforce.

“This project assisted 15 to 17 year olds who have disengaged from school, or are thinking about it, who don’t have a full resume or much work experience to help them find a good job,” Mr McNamara said.

“Future Focus offered a variety of life skills, accredited and non-accredited training which was a great way to keep these 26 young people engaged with the community and on track to join the workforce.

“Eight people from this group have already found jobs with three others signing on for further training to develop more skills.

Community Solutions Facilitator Anne-Maree Franklin said 10 of the jobseekers went on a camp and completed adventure activities including bush cooking, wall climbing and abseiling, map reading and navigation.

“All of the activities set different challenges requiring each person to learn new skills while also using skills they already have,” Ms Franklin said.

“For instance, learning how to abseil required them to listen and follow safety instructions and work together as a team when each person repelled down the cliff face.

“Completing these tasks gave participants a sense of achievement and showed they can do things they haven’t tried before which they will also face in the workplace.

“It is great to see some of these young people have already started work or have signed on for training and we’re confident others will be taking their next steps towards finding a job soon.”

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.

Skilling Queenslanders for Work supports the Government’s Toward Q2 vision of a fairer, stronger Queensland.

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

Community Solutions Coordinator Nikki Kerr: 4128 3933 or

nkerr@community-solutions.com.au

Member for Hervey Bay contact: 4124 1386

Ministerial contact: 3235 4060

January 6, 2009