$643,600 FOR SA WORKS PROGRAMS IN THE MID NORTH

The Mid North region will receive $643,600 over the next year under South Australia Works, the State Government’s highly successful program that skills unemployed people in areas of local industry demand.
 
The funding was announced today by Employment, Training and Further Education Minister, Paul Caica, as part of $14.6 million going to 17 regions across the State. Of the total, $7.7 is State Government funding and $6.9 million is being leveraged from industry, community organisations and the Commonwealth.
 
The Mid North region embraces the local government areas of Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council and the Regional Council of Goyder.
 
“Around 177people in the Mid North, who face barriers in their access to training or winning jobs, will take part in South Australia Works in the Regions programs over the next year,” Minister Caica said.
 
“Of those, around 72 are expected to directly win jobs as a result of their participation in the program, and all will benefit from their boosted skills.”
 
Some highlights from the 2008-09 programs in the Mid North include:
  • My Job - engages, assesses and prepares job seekers for employment by providing case management, training and support. The case managers work closely with job seekers to develop personalised action plans and link them with appropriate training and employment opportunities.
  • Introduction to Health and Community Services - the project has proved highly successful over the past two years and provides a platform for people to enter the industry. It provides common units to allow participants to identify the industry sector they prefer to enter, whether it be aged care, child care, disability work, community work or allied health. On conclusion of the project, participants are encouraged to complete their full Certificate III in their chosen sector.
  • Careers in Viticulture - this project will provide on-the-job training including tool maintenance, OHS&W and information about career pathways in the viticulture industry.
 
Of the $643,600available for the training programs in the Mid North this year, State Government funds of $375,000 have been bolstered by $268,600 leveraged from local industry and community organisations, plus the Commonwealth.
 
Minister Caica says South Australia Works in the Regions, now in its fifth year, has been extremely successful because it’s regionally based.
 
“The spirit and strength of the program lies in the genuine partnerships that have been developed and maintained in the Mid North, between the myriad of local industry, community, non-government and government partners,” he said.
 
“At the centre of this partnership are the local Employment and Skills Formation Network and the grantee for the program in this region, the Mid North Regional Development Board.”
 
“Together, these partners operate across regional and metropolitan areas, to connect the program to real issues and real people who receive real help.”
 
In 2007, the South Australia Works in the Regions program won the inaugural Premier’s Award for Building Communities for significantly improving the way employment programs are delivered in regional areas of the State.
 
The 2008-09 program will focus on:
·        Training that is closely targeted to the needs of industry and local employers;
·        Programs that address ‘multiple barriers’ to employment that are able to be tailored to the needs of the individual;
·        Developing partnerships at all levels to maximise opportunities and establish strategic links;
·        Promoting and enabling decision making to be made at the local level;
·        Ensuring program outcomes contain a mix of employment, academic and vocational education, occupational skills, job ready skills and on-the-job training.
 
The regional program forms part of a broader South Australia Works program for 2008-09, which is being allocated more than $32.9 million this year from the State Government, of which $3.8 million is leveraged funds.
 
Over 29,000 South Australians will participate in all these South Australia Works initiatives over the next year. Of these, almost 16,000 will participate in work programs and almost 14,000 will participate in learning, skills development and training programs.
 
 
For further information contact Loine Sweeney on tel: 0407 395 467