Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula (RDAWEP) and the Department of State Development (DSD) are bringing together the South Australian Government’s training, employment and skills initiatives and delivering the WorkReady Jobs First approach in Whyalla.

Jobs First is a central element of WorkReady that enables the State Government to respond to job opportunities by funding employment, training and skills development projects that meets employer needs and provides real opportunities for unemployed people to develop new skills and gain work.
The Jobs First Employment program provides funding for accredited training, employability skills, and development and support services such as case management and structured workplace mentoring.
Engaging with employers in designing and delivering projects is an important feature of the Jobs First approach to ensure employer’s needs are met.  In addition to supplying jobs for participants, employers could also be involved in providing input into the selection of project participants, providing work experience activities and actively talking to project participants about their workplace expectations.
Eligibility criteria applies to potential participants and consists of the participant being over 17 years of age, not enrolled in school and, unemployed and actively looking for work or underemployed at 17 hours or less per week.
RDAWEP has recently introduced two Industry and Skills Brokerage personnel to connect employers and training providers so that employers gain the skilled workers they need and job seekers are linked to skills and employment projects with clear pathways to jobs.
Heidi MacDonald brings twenty years of employment and training knowledge to this role and prides herself on delivering a service that can assist you to reach full business potential.  Being a local person, Heidi will keep up to date with the issues, challenges, barriers and opportunities that are affecting her local community and will strive to ensure that this program is highly successful in Whyalla.
Career Practitioner, Paula Wilson has delivered RDAWEP’s Career Development Centre service for more than 9 years and has worked in collaboration with employers, job networks, disability service providers, local support/community groups and training providers in Whyalla.  Paula has facilitated many aspects of training programs that have been very successful in Whyalla and is looking forward to working closely with local employers and assisting with training potential new employees.
RDAWEP are holding information sessions during January and February 2017 to alert local employers to the new program and further discuss how Heidi and Paula may assist your company with identifying employment, education and training opportunities.

For further information or to register for one of the upcoming sessions, please contact Heidi or Paula on 08 8645 7811 or email heidi.macdonald@rdawep.org.au or paula.wilson@rdawep.org.au