30 May 2011 – It’s National Reconciliation Week, a time to think about how all Australians can make a difference and help turn around the disadvantage experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This week, and into the month of June, Jobfind Centres Australia will be bringing you a series of Good News Stories around our work in finding meaningful and sustainable employment for Indigenous Australians.
So often we only hear of the supposed failures attributed to various organisations and governments that fall short of community expectations in respect of finding meaningful and sustainable employment for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Weekend Australian edition of November 13, 2010 published an article titled “Indigenous job prospects on long, slow walkabout.” Here is an extract from that article:
“Progress on lifting Indigenous employment and business ownership seems even slower when compared with the lofty targets unveiled 2 years ago by business and government. Since then, Indigenous unemployment has risen sharply, up from 13% to 18%, largely because these vulnerable workers became the first victims of job shedding during the global financial crisis. The bold target of 50,000 jobs in 2 years now looks a goal too far. Despite pledges of 25,000 job openings from 135 companies, only 2,800 people have been employed.”
Jobfind Centres Australia is an example of an organisation quietly but very successfully working together with the Federal Government, the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), the Australian Employment Covenant, training providers, local community organisations and employers to achieve a better way of life – through work – for some of the most disadvantaged people in our society.
As a member of both the Job Services Australia (JSA) and Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) programs, Jobfind has placed over 4,000 unemployed Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people into work since 1 July 2009 across the 130 locations we service in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory – with many of these locations being some of the most remote in the country.
More importantly, well over half of these people have remained in their jobs for at least 3 – 6 months with thousands more being better groomed for future employment by way of work and life skills educational programs.
Statistics, though, are simply that. For the remainder of National Reconciliation Week, and throughout the month of June, we will be putting a human face to these statistics by publishing the stories of just a few of the people who have been touched in a positive way through Jobfind’s 600-strong workforce – of which, 12% are Indigenous Jobfind employees themselves. Stay tuned!
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For more information please contact Ry Bradly on 02 9259 5530.
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 more than 350,000 people into jobs since its inception. For more information on Jobfind and the Angus Knight Group, please visit www.jobfindcentre.com.au