Getting local unemployed people into jobs was one of my first priorities as Mayor.
The City of Logan is growing rapidly and with that growth comes new employment opportunities.
The challenge is matching jobseekers with available jobs and getting young people trained so they’re job ready.
In the June Budget, Council committed funding for the development of the Mayor’s Local Job and Skills Taskforce.
The idea was to engage with local businesses and to create local employment opportunities.
The initiative is focussed on getting young people into work and conversations with prospective employers are well underway.
The City of Logan has its challenges and this taskforce will make a positive difference.
It will develop programs with employers, service providers and training organisations to ensure the skills being taught align with emerging industries.
By getting jobseekers involved in training programs it will give them the right skills and get them on the right foot.
It will help to address issues around long-term unemployment and intergenerational unemployment, where generations of the one family have not worked.
The three-year program will provide Logan jobseekers with great opportunities and we can measure its success as we go.
We know there are a lot of people in Logan looking for work and there are currently jobs in manufacturing, trades, health, construction and logistics.
While addressing unemployment is not traditionally the responsibility of Council, I believe we need to do more to assist where we can.
As well as the obvious financial benefits, having a reliable job builds confidence, creates independence and makes a big difference to the overall health and wellbeing of our residents.
A city is often viewed on its economic output, with unemployment and the cost of housing contributing factors.
Having too many people out of work only compounds social issues and puts added pressure on families.
I’m excited about this initiative and heartened by the positive impact that it will have on Logan families.
