Connecting unemployed to jobs in Redcliffe and Geebung

Worklinks will assist 74 unemployed people from Redcliffe and Brisbane's northside through the Work Connections project after receiving $346,270 from the State Government.

Parliamentary Secretary for Employment and Economic Development Jan Jarratt and Member for Redcliffe Lillian van Litsenburg said the grant from the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative would fund job preparation and accredited training for 60 people and 14 paid work placements.

"The variety of assistance available through this project allows long-term unemployed people to learn new skills and improve their self-confidence and motivation to find work," Ms Jarratt said.

"Projects funded through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative are important to the State Government's plan to develop skills for the future, one of the four points set out in Jobs First: Delivering Jobs for Queensland to create 100,000 new jobs in the tougher economic climate caused by the global financial crisis."

Member for Redcliffe Lillian van Litsenburg said the Work Connections project aimed to assist 43 people from around Redcliffe and 31 people in Geebung.

"This project assists individuals in our communities to overcome the barriers that are keeping them out of the workforce," Ms van Litsenburg said.

"Worklinks have a network of local employers in Redcliffe and Geebung to host the 13-week paid work placements."

Worklinks Manager Jan Robinson said the placements would develop participants' skills and experience in office administration.

"The participants' work will help their host employers take on more activities or deliver additional services while improving their workplace knowledge which will help find ongoing, meaningful jobs in the future," Ms Robinson said.

"We are also delivering units from the Certificate II in Business to the 60 accredited training and job preparation participants which will help them develop the understanding and skills they need to find work or progress towards a full Certificate III qualification."

During 2009/10 the Queensland Government will invest $101 million in the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to give an estimated 21,000 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.

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

Media contacts: Treasurer's office - (07) 3224 6361 or 3224 5982
Member for Redcliffe - (07) 3284 2667
Worklinks - Jan Robinson (07) 3354 3946