Having just established themselves in their new office at 70 Sydney Street Mackay, BUSY At Work, Work for the Dole (WFD) Co-ordinator, Kristy Gostelow and staff are now keen to enlist potential Host Organisations to come up with suitable activities for job seekers.
The jobactive Work for the Dole program is an initiative of the Australian Government and administered by the Department of Employment.
“We want to encourage not-for-profit organisations and local, state and Commonwealth Government agencies to become potential hosts for projects. These projects will give job seekers work skills which will potentially help them find a job and make a positive contribution to the local Mackay community,” Ms Gostelow said.
In previous WFD programs, job seekers have successfully been involved in activities such as gardening, maintenance works, retail and the rehabilitation of public parks, office administration and warehouse as well as many other duties.
Kristy said it was important that Host Employers be able to provide suitable day to day tasks for job seekers to complete.
“For local organisations it’s about providing activities that develop real skills that employers need while at the same time achieving goals for the organisation. Its win-win.”
“In the past job seekers working on these projects not only gained valuable experience in a real work environment but also improved their confidence and self-esteem. Many of these job seekers are now successfully employed,” Ms Gostelow said.
BUSY At Work is the jobactive (formerly Job Services Australia) WFD Coordinator for the Mackay Employment Region and are seeking to identify potential job seekers to commence the program and to match job seekers to activities.
“Job seekers participating in the WFD program would be provided with any inductions, on-the-job-training and supervision to ensure all work, health and safety requirements were met,” Ms Gostelow added.
BUSY At Work CEO, Paul Miles said BUSY At Work was pleased to be expanding its role in the Mackay region and keen to work with local organisations to improve employment outcomes.
“We are excited to be taking on the Work for the Dole Coordinator’s contract in Mackay and believe it will not only enhance the local community but provide real job prospects for local job seekers,” Mr Miles said.
If your organisation would like to offer a Work for the Dole placement you can contact BUSY At Work’s, Work for the Dole Coordinator to discuss the opportunity. To find out more call BUSY At Work 13 BUSY (13 28 79).
end
MEDIA CONTACT: Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator 0438 173 960 leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au
