19 September 2011 – A group of Indigenous Australians on Palm Island in Queensland will graduate today with a Certificate II in Work Preparation, with the foundation skills they need to find meaningful and sustainable employment.

Sixty participants of a nine week Indigenous training program, offered by Jobfind Centres Australia, will be recognised today for their effort and dedication towards completing a nationally accredited Certificate II in Work Preparation.

Funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations' (DEEWR), the program has helped Indigenous locals on the island develop a range of skills required by employers that many of us take for granted – such as literacy and numeracy for work, the ability to communicate with co-workers, workplace safety, cleanliness and hygiene, nutrition, and how to search for and apply for jobs.

The course, run in three groups of twenty participants, ran for 9 weeks at the Palm Island Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC) and has been chosen as a pre-requisite for an Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) run by Palm Island’s Coolgaree Aboriginal Corporation CDEP. Participants who graduate from this foundation course and move into the Coolgaree IEP will work towards a Certificate II in either Automotive Mechanics, Construction or Hospitality – preparing them for apprenticeships and traineeships in skill shortage areas on the island.

As part of the program, participants also completed a number of Jobfind’s training programs including Indigenous work and life skills program ‘Budda-Jitja’, and the confidence and motivation building ‘Ready4Work’ employment preparation course.

Special Achievement awards will also be provided at the graduation, with one special mention going to early school leaver, Naverone Curley, who initially struggled with the program but showed a great deal of passion and perseverance right through to his completion of the course.

“The completion of this course is a fantastic result not only for these job seekers and local employers, but also for the Palm Island community as a whole”, said Stewart Williams, General Manager of Jobfind Centres in Queensland. “The graduates of this course now have the skills they need to improve their own wellbeing, while also helping to assist employers who are looking to hire Palm Island locals when filling vacancies in much needed skill shortage areas.”

The graduation ceremony will take place at 12.00pm on Monday 19 September at Palm Island PCYC: Mango Avenue, Palm Island QLD, followed by a barbeque lunch for participants and their families, friends and guests.

 
Above: Palm Island graduates with local MP Mandy Johnstone (photo credit: Koori Mail) 

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NOTES TO EDITORS: About Jobfind Centres Australia Pty Ltd

Jobfind is a division of the Angus Knight group of companies, an Australian-owned organisation with a proven, decade-long record of providing quality employment and training services. A provider of the Australian Government’s Job Services Australia, Jobfind has placed almost half a million people into jobs since its inception. For more information on Jobfind and the Angus Knight Group, please visit www.jobfindcentre.com.au