Community organisations can now apply for funding to assist Queenslanders to gain job ready skills, including assistance to gain a driver’s licence under the latest round of Skilling Queenslanders for Work.
Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman at Access Community Services in Logan today announced the opening of the latest round of Skilling Queenslanders for Work.
“Our Skilling Queenslanders for Work program provides funding to community organisations to provide hands-on support to participants to help them to gain the skills and training they need to get a job and build a career,” Ms Fentiman said.
“Being able to drive is vital to being able to get to interviews, getting to work, and many jobs require employees to have a drivers licence.
“By introducing driver training as part of Skilling Queenslanders for Work, we are removing barriers for Queenslanders to be able to get job ready skills and a drivers licence.
“Access Community Services have been running their successful Women at the Wheel program, empowering refugee and migrant women to learn to drive, improving their employment and social opportunities.
“Under this latest round of application of the program, organisations like Access can now apply for funding to provide valuable driver training to assist participants to gain independence and be able to drive to work.
“We expect to assist up to 2,500 Queenslanders to obtain a drivers licence through this new initiative with our investment of up to $1 million as part of this year’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.
“Access Community Services have been successful in receiving $2.8 million under Skilling Queenslanders for Work to deliver 14 projects to assist up to 375 Queenslanders.
“Since the program was reinstated in 2015, almost 37,000 Queenslanders have been assisted to get the support to gain the skills they need to get a job and more than 21,000 now have work as a direct result of this successful program.”
Access Community Services CEO Gail Ker OAM said that for some of our newest Australians, the prospect of obtaining a licence and owning their own car represents so much, yet sitting a formal driver’s test can be incredibly daunting.
“Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in particular can experience compounding disadvantages and multiple barriers to obtaining a provisional licence and achieving car ownership,” Ms Ker said.
“Barriers such as financial constraints, social and cultural expectations, family commitments and a lack of personal confidence can all be factors in preventing women from gaining their licence and in turn, create a lack of mobility and independence.”
“Skilling Queenslanders for Work is all about providing direct assistance to those Queenslanders that need extra support to enter and stay in the workforce.
“It’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work funding us to deliver projects that respond to the needs of our local jobseekers and provide employment opportunities in our local area that allows us to do this”.
Ms Fentiman called on eligible community organisations across Queensland looking to support jobseekers in their area to visit the Skilling Queenslanders for Work applications portal at .
“I encourage them to review the funding guidelines, assessment criteria and other requirements to submit an application,” Ms Fentiman said.
“Working with local organisations like Access Community Services means participants can get extra support to help them pursue jobs that are available in their area.
“We know that some Queenslanders are still struggling to find the right opportunity and that’s what makes Skilling Queenslanders for Work so successful.
“They can overcome other barriers and work towards their driver licence or improve their resume writing and job interview skills, which can open doors into employment.”
Skilling Queenslanders for Work funds skills development, training and job opportunities for unemployed, disengaged or disadvantaged Queenslanders through a suite of targeted skills and training programs.
Seventy-three per cent of participants find work, take on further training or return to school around 12 months after exiting a Skilling Queenslanders for Work project.
