Giving our youth the First Start to get ahead

Published on 02 December 2015

Rockhampton Regional Council has once again jumped on board the successful Skilling Queenslanders for Work, a State Government initiative to give young people a head start with immediate job opportunities.

Rockhampton Regional Council CEO Evan Pardon signed an agreement to partake in the First Start program which helps our youth and disadvantaged job seekers enter the workforce through a Council traineeship.

“We are proud to be a part of this exciting program which creates an opportunity to gain an immediate job, a nationally recognised qualification and 12 months paid employment,” Mr Pardon said.

“We recognise that it’s a tough environment at the moment for job seekers, and we want to be a part of every opportunity that encourages our youth to grow and contribute to our economy.”

The State Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work is a $240 million initiative that will support up to 32,000 Queenslanders across its range of programs. First Start is just one of a suit of programs within the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.

The program’s funding is targeted at new employees and provides local councils with a significant subsidy to boost their traineeships.

“We are constantly recruiting new trainees, however First Start will allow us to go above and beyond our normal intake thanks to the State Government’s commitment to get people earning and learning,” Mr Pardon said.