A long term partnership between the City of Bunbury and the Needac Employment Centre has produced positive results through the federally funded work for the dole initiative.
Work for the Dole provides job seekers with activities that benefit the community and help them gain valuable job skills and experience.
Members of the program have been hard on the tools, working on the Hay Park cricket pitches, street scaping car park facilities, and most recently the Hay Park football pavilion.
Needac acting chief executive officer Philip Hands said if it wasn’t for the program and the hard work of up to 50 workers the pavilion wouldn’t be there.
“The building was in a very poor shape and was earmarked for demolition, but now because of the work put it can continue to be used,” Mr Hands said.
“The goal of the program is to provide skills like project management, motivation and reliability with an end goal of finding employment, which we have been successful in finding for four participants.
“Since the downturn of the mining boom it’s become very competitive in the South West for jobs, a receptionist position can attract as many as 190 people for the same role.”
Ex-Needac ceo Jason Sandiford said he hoped they’d be able to work with the city into the future.
“I think the program has had an impact on the community and I hope we can work with the city further to prove more employment opportunities,” Mr Sandiford said.
Blayde Grzelka
Journalist for the Bunbury Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Journalist for the Bunbury Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
