Ladders to Success
Ladders to Success, is a unique Goulburn Valley project being run through Ganbina. It facilitates the transition of Indigenous people into the workforce. The concept is about being able to assist everyone to move one step up the Ladder of Success.
The project:
- Focuses on mainstreaming indigenous employment
- Finding career paths through full-time jobs in skilled or professional areas
- Links employment assistance to identifying further education and training options,
and
- Aims at real and sustainable employment rather than welfare wages.
For Participants
People assisted are aged between their teens to 50s and the placements have been across a vast range of industries.
We work with the individuals to identify where they want to be and map out a path of how they can achieve their career goals. Then we assist them in practical ways to achieve the dream.
Everything is there - all you have to do is ask. I would recommend it to anyone, especially young people.
Robert Miller, Placed as a Finance Officer with Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative.
For Employers
For employers, the project is an ideal opportunity to have people skilled up into their industries.
It (the program) has worked because we have been prepared to employ anybody and we want to give indigenous people a go but didn't know how
Jim Andreadis, proprietor, Ardmona Factory Sales.
Sponsorship, Outcomes and Targets
This three-year project is funded jointly by the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and the State Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD) and in partnership with Greater Shepparton City Council (COGS) and 50-60 local businesses. It builds on GANBINA's 9-month demonstration project conducted in 2000/2001.
The demonstration project resulted in 37 employment placements against a target of 18. The mentoring component of the project provided support for in excess of 40 indigenous workers.
The targeted outcomes for the current project include:
- Training of 150 Koori jobseekers through DWER's STEP (Structured Training and Employment Project) including mentoring support, pre-employment training and on-the-job training
- Provision of cross cultural awareness programs for employers
- 100 Koori permanent full-time job placements over the project's life, including 20 in calendar year 2003 and 40 each year thereafter. Actual result for 2003 was 28 placements.
Ladders is placing indigenous jobseekers in more numbers and at a faster rate than any other programme
Bob Harvey, State Manager, Dept of Employment and Workplace Relations
GANBINA Koori Economic Employment & Training Agency Inc.
99 Welsford Street [ PO Box 1403 ] Shepparton, Vic 3630
For further information
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