Jobfind Bulletin - March 2013

BULLETINMarch 2013

A bi-monthly newsletter on training and employment successes in Jobfind Centres across NSW, TAS, QLD and NT.

Jobfind in PM’s Closing the Gap Report On Wednesday 6th of February, Prime Minister Julia Gillard presented her fifth annual Closing the Gap statement and the 2013 Closing

the Gap Report.

Addressing the six Closing the Gap targets surrounding Indigenous life expectancy, infant mortality, education and employment, the Prime Minister’s Report includes a case study of the work Jobfind undertook to enable Save the Children to appoint its first member in the remote Indigenous community of Mornington Island in Far North Queensland.

With Jobfind’s help, Geraldine Thimble, a well-respected member of the community is now responsible for the local implementation of the Pride in my Home Program in Mornington Island. Led by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, this initiative works to increase awareness and understanding of how to improve the home environment for families.

Geraldine was assisted into employment with the help of Jobfind Indigenous

Employment and Training Advisor Tracey Phillips. Given the sensitive nature of many of the issues this position is required to discuss with community members, Tracey knew that she would need to put forward a candidate that not only possessed the appropriate communication skills, but was also well-respected within the Mornington Island community. After meeting Geraldine, assessing her strengths and witnessing her demonstrated abilities, it was clear Geraldine was perfect for the role.

Geraldine has held the position since July 2012 and is enjoying the role. She provides ongoing support to members of the community and works to increase the awareness and understanding of health and safety in the home and economic issues such as household budgeting, and the impact these can have to help ensure a safe and happy upbringing for children.

“Pride in my home really says it all. I love being able to share my skills and knowledge with others in the community, to help them keep their homes safe and clean for their children. Together with the youth in the community, we work as a team to clean their yards for the elders,” she says. “This is the job for me. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Tracey Phillips and Geraldine Thimble.

QLD

Mornington Island

THIS ISSUE

1 Jobfind in PM’s Closing the Gap Report

2 Emily’s Road to Success

2 Joyce’s Dream Job Is Child’s Play

3 Craig on Track for a Hollywood Ending

3 Coralie Guiding Kids with BushMob

4 Jobfind Reaching for the Stars

4 Gerard Hits A Home Run

4 Introducing RealPath to NSW and SA

11300 360 562www.jobfindcentre.com.au

2

Job Seekers Upgrade Wujal Wu-

Emily’s Road to SuccessNineteen-year-old Emily Milajew, a single parent with a six-month-old daughter, has inspired the team at

Jobfind Wallsend with her determination and dedication to gain a full-time heavy vehicle apprenticeship within six months.

Employment and Training Advisor Kate Wells did her routine research prior to meeting with Emily, and prepared a range of options to empower and build her confidence to build her career. At her first appointment with Emily, Kate quickly rethought any preconceived ideas based on the job seeker profile as she learnt that Emily had volunteered to come to Jobfind seeking to become a heavy vehicle mechanic as soon as possible -preferably tomorrow!

Together Kate and Emily worked together on a structured plan to reach Emily’s goals by gaining an apprenticeship in six months. This included completing the Green Skills Truck Driving Program for dump truck driver certification (Certificate II in Surface

Extraction Operations), gaining a Heavy Vehicle Truck License and completing a Certificate II Automotive (pre-vocational) TAFE course at Glendale TAFE.

Emily occasionally brought her daughter along to Jobfind appointments, and that’s when Kate really gained an appreciation of what, or more correctly who, motivated her. “I could see how determined Emily was to get a career and her dedication to provide the best she could for her daughter by becoming an independent working mother”.

When it was time to complete the compulsory workplace practical section of the course Emily took the initiative and sat by the phone with the yellow pages, cold calling all the Heavy Vehicle Engineering companies in the Hunter region and successfully secured a full time 4 week work placement at TEFOL.

By the time Emily attended the graduation ceremony at TAFE in December last year- as the only woman to complete the course- TEFOL had already offered her a full time heavy vehicle apprenticeship. With the assistance of Jobfind and Kate,

Emily achieved her goal – working in a non-traditional trade for a woman - in less than six months.

Joyce McLaughlin, a single mother of seven children from Alice Springs, searched for years to find a vocation that suited her. With the assistance of Jobfind, Joyce undertook a number of training

courses and worked in both the retail and hospitality industries before finding her dream job working with young children at two local pre-schools.

As a direct result of the Early Childhood Education and Training Round Table held in Alice Springs in May 2012, Jobfind Alice Springs commenced a series of specially tailored training courses to meet the industry needs of early childhood providers. Joyce was one of the first participants to complete this training.

With the assistance of Jobfind

Employment Services Consultant, Alice Trinder, Joyce undertook Certificates I and II in Community Services (Early Childhood).

As part of her course work Joyce completed work experience with the YMCA, who offered her a role following the completion

of her studies. She stayed on at YMCA as an employee before accepting a role as Pre-school/Play Group Supervisor at Hidden Valley Pre-school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and with Nathalie Gorey Pre-school on Thursdays.

“I love this job. I just love seeing these young people developing personalities,” Joyce says. “We are working with 3 year old kids, teaching them the boundaries and expectations that they will have to live with; which can be as simple as washing hands before eating, putting plates away and tidying up the toys”.

Joyce is developing her interpersonal skills in her additional role of liaison between the Pre-schools and Indigenous families, and is hopeful of furthering her career in early childhood care with additional training and role model support. Since stepping into her new job and setting her own daily work schedule, she has blossomed in both roles and has moved to a home closer to the schools.

Above: Emily and daughter with Jobfind’s Kate Wells.

Joyce’s Dream Job Is Child’s Play

Alice Springs

NT

NSWWallsend

Above: Joyce with Jobfind’s Alice Trinder.

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Since first visiting the W a l l s e n d Jobfind Centre in May 2011, job seeker

Craig has enjoyed a series of life-changing events including a successful railway track maintenance role gained through Trojan Recruitment.

At his initial assessment with Jobfind’s Sammie-Jade Walters, Craig presented multiple barriers – mandatory drug court appointments three times a week, a disqualified licence as well as limited work experience and training completion.

In April 2012, the Drug Court gave Craig the opportunity to progress to Stage 3 and reduce his requirements if he gained employment. Motivated by this, Craig gained a forklift licence and completed Jobfind’s Budda-Jitja, LearnNow and Rail Industry Safety Induction (RISI) training.

Having successfully completed his RISI training, Sammie began contacting local Labour Hire contacts. The very first person Sammie-Jade contacted, Corynne McArthur at Trojan Recruitment, offered Craig a labourer role conducting railway track maintenance starting straight away

in Singleton.

Sammie-Jade was concerned about how Craig would be able to travel to work so far away on a regular basis with limited public transport. Craig however was adamant that it wasn’t going to be an issue saying, “I used to get from one side of the country to the other for the wrong reasons, so surely now I can get from Wallsend to Singleton for the right ones.”

Unfortunately Craig didn’t attend his first day of work due to his Drug Court commitments. When Corynne called Craig to discuss why he was not at work, Craig disclosed everything to her. Not only the reason he wasn’t at work that day, but his entire background.

Corynne’s response was an inspiration. She turned to her team at Jobfind and made a commitment to get Craig working, having him placed in ongoing employment closer to home in Cardiff so he could make his Drug Court commitments. Corynne saw Craig’s potential and understood the importance of the community supporting rehabilitation.

Craig is no longer in receipt of Centrelink payments and the courts are considering

an application to let him apply for his car licence in less than two years rather tha n upload his extended licence disqualification.

Jobfind were honoured to be a part of Craig’s Drug Court graduation ceremony at Toronto Court House in March 2013 and share the celebration of his achievement – also presenting Trojan Recruitment with an Employer of the Month Award.

Craig spends his time working, sailing, and with support from family and friends, has begun writing a book about his life. Until a year ago the people closest to Craig all feared for his life, instead this inspiring story is definitely going to have much more of a Hollywood ending.

Craig on Track for a Hollywood Ending

Coralie Guiding Kids with BushMobJob seeker Coralie Williams from Hermannsburg in the Northern Territory has successfully completed a Certificate I and II in Community Services (Early Childhood), securing a role with BushMob in Alice

Springs.

Coralie moved to Alice Springs from Hermannsburg after her adopted son was influenced into petrol sniffing. Despite previous work experience with the Department of Corrections, she was unsuccessful in gaining employment in her first months in Alice Springs and decided to visit Jobfind Centre for help.

Tracey Broadfoot, Jobfind’s Area Manager, encouraged Coralie to join the Early Childhood Education and Care Training

Program. This training program was initiated by Tracey as a direct outcome of the Early Childhood, Education and Care (ECEC) Round Table discussion held in Alice Springs in May 2012.

With the help of Jobfind’s Employment Services Consultant, Alice Trinder, a very proud Coralie Williams completed her Certificates I and II in Community Services (Early Childhood), working with children from newborns to 5 years of age at Central Australian Aboriginal Congress as part of her work experience training program.

Following the completion of her studies, Coralie was offered a full-time role at BushMob in 2012 which she happily accepted. BushMob is an Alice Springs based organisation that offers a residential program for young people aged 12 to 24 years of age as well as Bush Adventure

therapy programs offering support to address issues of substance use, violence, unsafe living conditions and disempowerment in the community.

“Providing care and guidance to kids from 14 to 17 with alcohol or drug problems provides me with a great deal of satisfaction. I am going to stick with this job. I am proud of what I have achieved,” said Coralie.

Alice Springs

NT

NSWWallsend

Above: Coralie with Jobfind ESC Alice Trinder.

Above (left to right): Marc and Amanda from Trojan Re-cruitment, Craig Hughes, and Sammie-Jade from Jobfind

4 1300 360 562www.jobfindcentre.com.au

Jobfind is celebrating the results from DEEWR’s latest Star Rating Report which shows that

Jobfind’s ESA star ratings have improved by twice the national average during this ratings period. All Jobfind regions improved their percentile rankings, with the strongest gains across New South Wales, Northern Territory and Tasmania. In total 78.5 per cent of Jobfind Centres achieved a Star Rating of three out of five

stars or more.

Jobfind Centre Batchelor was awarded a very high Four Star Rating for its efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability in placing and keeping job seekers in employment. Additionally, three ESAs and ten Jobfind Centres in Ettalong, Toronto, Evans Head, Lismore, Queenstown, Alice Springs, Urapuntja, Beswick, Adelaide River, Gunbalanya and Pine Creek gained one star each, bringing their Star Ratings to three out of five stars. These centres join Jobfind’s other five and four star rated Centres in Canterbury, Parramatta, Wollongong, Mackay and Normanton.

Natalie Turmine, Executive General Manager of Jobfind, said that these results reflect Jobfind’s commitment to providing job seekers with industry-leading employment services, and employment skills training and mentoring programs.

“These well-deserved star ratings are a testament to the incredible effort of our talented and dedicated employment and training consultants across all our regions,” she said. “These results clearly show that we are on track to becoming a Four Star rated provider in every centre across Australia within the next year.”

Jobfind Reaching for the Stars

Gerard Hits A Home Run

RealPath is the new and exciting joint venture between Jobfind Centre Australia and South Australian-based company Interwork Limited. RealPath will deliver DES ESS services in Canterbury/Bankstown and Adelaide Hills from March this year.

RealPath provides job seekers, employers and local stakeholders with the benefits achieved by merging the strengths and expertise of these two leading providers, offering a total of 35 years’ combined

experience in assisting businesses and individuals to achieve employment, recruitment and training success.

RealPath’s focus is to change community attitudes towards disability, provide employment choice and control for job seekers with a disability, practically support employers to realise the many financial and non-financial benefits that a diverse workforce offers, and create healthier and more engaged communities.

To find out more, visit RealPath’s website: www.realpath.com.au.

Introducing RealPath to NSW and SA

Steam 4 job seeker Gerard has successfully secured a six month lease with an option for ongoing tenancy as a result of attending the two hour Ready2

Go Accommodation course at Jobfind’s Aitkenvale Centre in Townsville, North Queensland.

Ready2Go Facilitator Scott Anderson worked through the module with Gerard which focuses on effective means of searching for accommodation using the internet and telephone. This was a very different approach for Gerard as he previously visited agents in person, walking from agency to agency.

“I specifically remember Gerard coming into Ready2 Go. He wasn’t too keen initially because he knew he only had fourteen days to find accommodation and he felt doing the program was a waste of time,” Scott says. “Obviously the internet quickens the process up from what he was usually doing and he found that what he would achieve in a week he was able to do in an hour.”

“It’s great that he found something as he was clearly distressed at the prospect of living on the streets again,” Scott adds. “We might never know the degree to which we have helped Gerard’s situation by assisting him with his non-vocational issues. However, the fact that he has a roof over his head and a safe place to stay puts

him in a much better position to look for work opportunities.”

Nationwide

QLD

Townsville

Above: Gerard with Ready2Go Facilitator Scott.