Employment Initiatives

South West Region

Personal Support Program (PSP) bridges the gap between crisis assistance and employment assistance services. The Program provides pre-employment services to people on Centrelink benefits who, because of multiple non-vocational barriers, including: drug and alcohol addictions, mental health problems, trauma and family and domestic issues are unable to lead productive and fulfilling lives. We aim firstly to support and build a strong relationship with these individuals and assist them to take steps to move forward with their lives, working with them for up to 2 years.

Participants are assisted to address their non-vocational barriers through counseling and referral to appropriate services, exploring options around working collaboratively with other service providers to deliver the best outcomes for the individuals and ultimately the community. Once barriers are tackled, the Program then provides transition support when linking participants to employment services. A key objective of Personal Support Program is to improve participants’ capacity to participate in employment or employment related activities, education and training.

Funded by Family and Community Services.

Contact Person: Paul Channell 02 4628 3300

Stepers
This indigenous Employment program is delivered in partnership with Auswide Projects. There are three components:
Employment preparation - provides skills training.
Placement into employment - focusing on apprenticeships and traineeships.
Mentoring in the Workplace - support for the indigenous person and the employer.

Contact Person: Annick Leach - 02 4629 3431

JPET (Job Placement & Employment Training)
JPET is a program that helps disadvantaged young people get things together. JPET gives support & advice to young people that need help finding a place to live, financial advice, to stay at school, or get into training. This 12 month program will see 110 young people living in the Shoalhaven areas, and 60 young people in the Macarthur area, assessed & assisted to overcome current disadvantages they may face in securing work &/or a healthy happy lifestyle.

Funded by the Department of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.

Contact Person: Sharon Huntington 02 4628 3300.

Job Placement
This service provides for the placement of eligible job seekers into vacancies that have been lodged on Australian JobSearch. It involves the canvassing of employers for vacancies, lodging them on Australian JobSearch prior to any recruitment action, screening and referring eligible job seekers.

Contact: Lynn McKay 02 4628 3300 (Campbellttown)
Manjula Nair - 02 4677 3943 (Picton)

South East Region

Contact Person: Lewis McLeod - 02 4423 8503

Stepping UP
Stepping UP is working in partnership with Job Networks and Disability Employment Services to identify long term unemployed people across the Shoalhaven - Ulladulla, Bay & Basin and Nowra/Bomaderry, who need additional training and support to secure employment. Once identified Job Networks sponsor, through a financial contribution of $250 per person, these people to participate in a 9 week group training program focusing on developing key employment skills: communication, team work, self management, self confidence, as well as training in OH&S and First Aid. An adventure based team building day is planned for each group.

Stepping UP also recruits employers across the Shoalhaven who can provide work experience with the view to also considering taking people on as trainees or employees if a job vacancy arises. These workplaces will identify a workplace buddy to be trained to support people coming into their organisation for work experience.

Funded by Employer Demand Demonstration Projects, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Contact Person: Kerry Wright - 02 4423 851