Helping hand for Tom Quinn Community Centre

THE State Government has approved $536,000 from the reinstated Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative for the Salvation Army Tom Quinn Community Centre.

THE State Government has approved $536,000 from the reinstated Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative which is enabling the Salvation Army Tom Quinn Community Centre to assist 30 people from Bundaberg to find and hold jobs in their local communities.

Minister for Training and Skills Yvette D'Ath said the group is using the funds to run the Motivation, Accreditation, Training & Employment Skills (MATES) project.

"During the project two intakes of 15 participants are being enrolled in traineeships and will study for either their Certificate I in Conservation and Land Management qualification or Certificate I in Construction qualification," Mrs D'Ath said. "The first intake has already started and the second group will be trained in January 2016."

"The service will offer participants the chance to develop skills in these high demand employment areas through training and on the job experience working on practical projects, many of which will be at local Salvation Army sites.

"The local Salvation Army group has a long and successful history of helping people break out of long-term unemployment and this project aims to continue their success in this area.

"The reinstated SQW initiative is investing $240 million over four years to support up to 32,000 unemployed, disengaged or disadvantaged people to enter the paid workforce.

"This $536,000 injection under SQW's Community Work Skills program is part of a wider package of more than $26 million being allocated in 2015-16 Round 1 to 200 projects across the state.

"These projects will assist more than 8000 people to develop the skills they need to find and hold a job in their local communities.

"The initiative is specifically tailored for local programs that support young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, mature-age jobseekers, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people experiencing long-term unemployment to find a path back to work.

"This is all about giving people the right skills and getting them into jobs.

"This year's commitment of $60 million will deliver hope to thousands of Queenslanders," Mrs D'Ath said.

"We are able to offer these traineeships thanks to State Government funding through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work and User Choice programs," Mr Osborne said.

"The training will be delivered in the inclusive, flexible and supportive environment for which the TQCC is renowned and learning will be in a practical hands-on environment as there are commercial workshops, computer labs and 3.7ha of gardens and nurseries at the centre."

"We offer a friendly, supportive environment with trainers and supervisors that are best-practice, and work in line with the centre's mission 'to transform lives in the Bundaberg region'."

The funded organisations will recruit eligible people to join these projects.

For further information visit www.training.qld.gov.au/sqw or call 1300 369 935.