June 30, 2015
South Burnett CTC is alive and well, despite the closure of its Employment Services operations on Tuesday.
In April, CTC missed out on gaining any contracts under the Federal Government’s new $5.1 billion “jobactive” job search scheme, despite having almost 20 years of experience in the South Burnett.
CTC CEO Nina Temperton said today it was a sad day for the organisation with the signs coming down, however it was important to remember that all CTC’s other community programs and organisations were continuing as usual, or in some cases expanding.
However, the process of winding down Employment Services had been “gut wrenching” for everyone involved.
She deeply regretted that staff had been made redundant however she was pleased to report that all the Kingaroy and Murgon staff affected have found alternative employment or, in some cases, retired.
“Although we have been involved in initiatives to assist unemployed people since 1983 with training in work and life skills through various Local, State and Federal funding bodies, it was not until the Job Network was created in 1996 by the Federal Government that we became an official employment service,” Mrs Temperton said.
“In a series of three-year contracts we have been more-or-less successful in getting a share of the ‘market’, having to cope with too many providers at times, while in the latest incarnation we gained more than 65 per cent.
“Lately we have had about 30 permanent full-time employees in Tin Can Bay, Gympie, Murgon and Kingaroy devoted to giving the best possible service to job seekers and employers, many of whom would have been turned away as ineligible by other providers.”
Mrs Temperton said that “by any standard”, CTC had performed well “thanks to the excellent leadership from manager Barb O’Hanlon and team leaders Barbara Sandbach and Debbie Nicolai and the many dedicated and hard-working staff”.
“I regret deeply that ‘in the new world’ many of our former clients will find it very hard to get assistance merely because they are not eligible, yet their need is as great as ever,” Mrs Temperton said.
“However, the choice is not ours so we have to get on with doing what we can to improve the lives of people in the South Burnett.
“Barb O’Hanlon will continue to manage Gumnut (in Murgon) and has already compiled various applications for work experience programs.
“She will also continue to provide fee-for-service labour hire to a couple of big employers while exploring the possibilities for more employment for people with disabilities through the NDIS.
“All other CTC programs and sections will continue business as usual and some exciting new initiatives are about to commence.”
Under the Federal Government’s new jobactive program, seven agencies were appointed to provide services in the Wide Bay area.
Of these, four are expected to have sites in the South Burnett:
- MAX Employment – servicing Kingaroy and Murgon
- NEATO Employment Services Pty Ltd – Kingaroy, Murgon and Nanango
- Sarina Russo Job Access – Kingaroy, Murgon and Cherbourg (to operate from Glendon Street, Kingaroy)
- Advanced Personnel Management (APM) – Kingaroy, Murgon and Nanango
