Oasis jobs program receives funding in state budget
The state budget has restored funding for an important program helping veterans find jobs after they leave the service.
Townsville
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Oasis Townsville has received a lifeline in the state budget to relaunch its award-winning veteran employment program.
A four year government grant for the program dried up in April this year despite the successful program winning two national awards in the 2024 PM’s national employment awards last year.
Over four years, the Department of Premier and Cabinet will invest $19m to deliver programs and services to support and honour veterans and their families.
Since opening its doors four years ago, about the veterans’ hub has provided vital services to thousands of veterans to make the transition out of the Australian Defence Force but in April it was forced to re-evaluate its services and reduce staff from 16 down to four just to keep its doors open.
Oasis Townsville’s transition program, Navigator, was funded through the Department of Defence but vital were funds frozen for months forcing the organisation to lay off staff.
Oasis Townsville chairman Lieutenant General John Caligari said with new state funding announced in the budget, the organisation’s employment program would be back up to speed by the end of the year.
“We appealed to the Queensland government and the Minister for Veterans, who is also the Premier David Crisafulli. We said we’d like to get the employment program up again, because this, not only did we find 100 people jobs in the last 12 months but we are an award-winning program,” he said.
“He said we’d get something in the budget, and we were very, very pleased to see that it’s in the budget coming out now.
“We’re expecting, on the first of July, that we get a letter from the Office for Veterans, which is in the Premier’s department, and that letter will commence the process of drafting a contract for the four year program.”
He said it was a vital service for veterans in the community.
“It’s not just a matter of telling them to go to an employment agency like most people would do, because if you’re serving in the in the defence force, you’ve got to, first of all, believe in yourself, because a lot of them don’t believe they’ve got skills that the civilian employment market needs,” Mr Caligari said.
“So giving them that confidence to be able to stay, I want to stay in Townsville, but I need to know what I’m good at, and what I’d like to do is a real, real process for and it’s got to be handled carefully.
“It’s got to be handled by veterans and partners of veterans so they understand, and the Oasis is perfectly situated for that, because it’s a it’s a safe environment where they can come and don’t feel like they’re asking stupid questions. They’re actually talking to people who know what they’re about to go through.”
Mundingburra MP and Assistance Minister for Veterans Janelle Poole said she delivered the news to Mr Caligari on Wednesday.
“I have fought for this funding since the former state Labor Government left our veteran community high and dry when Oasis’ funding abruptly ended months prior to the budget,” she said.
“Our veterans gave everything for us and so we must support them and continue to support our current servicemen and women.
“The Crisafulli Government are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our veterans and this funding shows that commitment.”
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